Free coach resource · Ages 13+
A short change of pace for a supervised practice. These are original practice ideas inspired by Four Strokes, not the card game’s official rules. Choose strokes, distances and rest for your group’s ability and follow your pool’s rules.
Set up: Write the strokes your group can swim on slips of paper. A coach draws one before each repeat.
Play: Swimmers complete the coach’s chosen distance using that stroke. Award one point for a technique goal, such as a legal turn or a streamlined push-off.
Change it up: Let each lane nominate a technique goal. Keep the same distance and rest so the game fits your session.
Set up: Choose a short relay within the group’s usual abilities. Give each team a realistic target time.
Play: Each team tries to match its own target. Score how close the team gets, so the challenge is pacing and teamwork.
Change it up: Repeat with a different stroke or a coach-selected target. Use normal starts and safe spacing.
Set up: Write six coach-approved options for a short repeat on the board and number them 1–6.
Play: Roll an ordinary die to pick the next option. The coach decides the distance, effort and rest. Award a point for completing the named technique goal.
Change it up: Use Swimmer’s Dice to choose repetitions, stroke, distance and effort, adjusting any roll to the group’s training plan.
Keep normal supervision, lane spacing and rest. Do not add breath-holding contests or underwater-distance challenges.
You can print this page from your browser to bring it to the pool.