If I had to choose just one teaching tool, it would be mirrors.  They are the best thing ever -- better than any amount of underwater video analysis -- because they give instant visual feedback.  

With a mirror, swimmers see what you see, and can correct their mistakes instantly.

Besides that, mirrors are fun, and they work for every level of swimmer... from six-and-under kids...

...to accomplished age-group swimmers...

...to Masters swimmers.

Swim mirrors are very safe because they’re not made from glass.  They’re made from aluminum or acrylic plastic, and they go on the bottom of the pool and are very durable.  

The mirrors that I use are eight feet long and four feet wide, and weigh about 25 pounds.  You can position them anywhere on the bottom of the pool, and their weight keeps them in place.  

At our pool we have 9 mirrors.  On some days, we put a mirror in each lane.

On other days, we put six, seven, or eight mirrors in one lane and we go down and back looking at our strokes right over the mirror.  The swimmers see their exact stroke and can make corrections as they swim.

The cost of a mirror is just over 100 dollars, but its value as a teaching tool is priceless.   

A single mirror will transform your ability to teach, especially at the developmental level.  We have them in place during all of our lessons.  The kids get used to them really fast and love them.  And the teachers love them because they get results.

When teaching with mirrors, the most important thing to remember is that this is a tool for visual learning.  

As a teacher or coach, your job is to tell the swimmer what they should see as they pass over the mirror rather than what they should do or feel.  Let’s see how this works for teaching streamline, and for teaching the four strokes.

**RESOURCES**

**Swim Mirrors**
Check your local Yellow Pages for plastic stores and ask for clear acrylic mirrors.  

Or contact:

Multi-Craft Plastics, Inc.
7298 SW Tech Center Drive
Tigard, OR  97223-8046
USA
Tel  503-352-0970
Toll Free:  800-488-9030
Contact: Jennifer Fogarty
Ask for clear acrylic mirrors.
www.multicraftplastics.com

Finis
4647-B Las Positas Road
Livermore, CA  94551
USA
Tel: 925-454-0111
Toll Free: 925-454-0066
www.finisinc.com 

Clear acrylic mirrors are usually 8 feet X 4 feet and 1/8 inch thick (2440mm X 1220mm X 3mm).  Don’t buy the thicker mirrors (1/4 inch or 6 mm).  These are too heavy and too expensive.

The plastic shop should be able to cut the mirrors to any size.

The average price is about $150 US for the standard size (8 feet X 4 feet X 1/8 inch).  

For safety and to prolong the life of your clear acrylic mirror:
1.  Apply 2 coats of Kilz2 water-base latex sealer/primer/stain blocker to the back side of the mirror.  Wait a day, then...
2.  Apply 1 coat of exterior-grade 100% acrylic semi-gloss house & trim paint.  Wait a few days, then...
 Cover the corners of the mirror with duct tape.
Your mirrors are ready to go into the pool.

Painting the back of the mirror is not necessary if the bottom of your pool is smooth, but it will keep the coating on the back from getting scratched.  Duct tape at the corners is always recommended.  

**Heads, Hands, and Feet**
Store Supply Warehouse
Toll Free:  800-823-8887
www.storesupply.com
Does not ship outside USA/Canada.
Ask for:  
Display Head #70121
Style: male suntan
Approx. price:  $8.95

Women’s Sandal Foot Form #72202
Approx. $5.19

Men’s Hand Form #70203 (left hand) or #70204 (right hand)
Approx. $16.95

**Swim Doll**
Check local art-supply stores or search online for artist manikins made from wood.

Another option is a plastic doll called LIV Making Waves Jake, available online for about $13. 


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Mirrors