1. Drills
  2. Diving
  3. Approach & Start

Armstand Shape With a Spotter

Build the steady upside-down balance used for armstand starts on the platform, on a mat with a coach.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

Your coach stands beside you on a thick mat by a wall.

Core: As written. Aim for smooth form and compare only with your own last time.

Ages
14 and up
Time
12 min
Space
Pool
Bring
Thick mat, coach spotter, wall
Level · skill
Advanced · Approach & Start

The steps

How it works

  1. Your coach stands beside you on a thick mat by a wall.
  2. Kick up gently to a straight upside-down hold with your coach holding your legs.
  3. Squeeze legs together and push the floor away.
  4. Hold for 10 seconds, come down, rest; do 5.

Coaching point

Push tall through your shoulders.

Safety: Upside-down skills only with a qualified coach spotting and a thick mat under you.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Deck follow-the-leader: one person leads a dryland movement and the group copies. Swap the leader each time.

Challenge

Pick a level: Less (slower or smaller), Core (as written), More (one extra twist). Aim for smooth form and compare only with your own last time.

Story

You are an explorer crossing the pool deck like a jungle.

My best

Beat your own count

Aim for smooth form and compare only with your own last time. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

Print it now, or save it free

Free for families and teams

Save this drill to your child or team, free

Sign up and the free diving week for this age opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits. A coach can send this drill to the whole team as homework, and parents see every session logged.

14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free

Does your child's coach know about this?

An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.