Water Polo: How to Swim With the Ball in 3 Simple Steps (For Kids Ages 10–15)

For a lot of young water polo players, swimming with the ball is one of the most awkward skills in the game.

They either:

• Push the ball too far away

• Let it slide under their chest

• Drag their legs deep behind them and feel exhausted after 5 meters

• Or lose the ball the moment a defender puts a hand in

The good news: this isn’t about being “naturally fast”.
It’s about having the right technique.

In this blog, we’ll break down how to swim with the ball in water polo in 3 simple steps:

1. Elbows Up – Same Line as Your Head

2. Flutter Kick on the Surface – White Water Behind You

3. Head Above the Ball – See the Pool

YouTube Video for it: https://youtu.be/3CiKUBoBANU

This guide is written especially for kids and beginners (ages 10–15) and for parents and coaches who want to structure better youth water polo training.

Why Swimming With the Ball Matters So Much

If you watch any high-level game, you’ll notice something:

• The best players don’t just swim fast without the ball.

• They swim fast with the ball, under control, while reading the game.

Good ball-swimming technique helps you:

• Win 1v0 counters

• Beat your defender to space

• Protect the ball when you’re being chased

• Arrive into shooting position balanced and ready, not gasping for air

For kids 10–15, learning this early is huge.
If you build this skill now, everything else becomes easier:

• You waste less energy

• You feel more confident when the ball is in front of you

• Coaches trust you more in fast-break situations

Let’s go step by step.

Step 1: Elbows Up – Same Line as Your Head

The first step is upper body position.

Most beginners do this wrong:
They let their arms fall straight down in the water, or they reach too far forward and collapse their chest over the ball. That makes it easy for defenders to reach in and hit the ball away.

What “Elbows Up” Means

When you swim with the ball:

• Your head, shoulders, and elbows should be roughly on the same line.

• Your elbows are slightly out to the sides, not tight against your ribs.

• You feel like you’re creating a small “shield” around the ball with your upper body.

This position:

• Keeps your chest open

• Helps lift your upper body

• Makes it harder for defenders to attack the ball from the side

Imagine your elbows are “wings” that protect the ball. They don’t smash or push, but they create space.

Why This Is Safer

When your elbows are up:

• If a defender tries to reach in, they have to come through your arms and shoulders.

• You can feel their pressure earlier and react.

• The ball stays in the “bubble” of your body instead of floating far in front of you.

When your elbows are down and lazy:

• Your chest falls on the ball

• You can’t see clearly

• You’re easy to foul, easy to strip, and easy to sink

Common Mistakes

1. Straight arms reaching too far forward

   • Player feels like they are “pushing” the ball, but actually loses strength and balance.

2. Hands on top of the ball

   • They slap or pat the ball, which kills speed and makes it bounce randomly.

3. Narrow elbows that collapse in

   • No protection. Defender can easily attack the ball from the side.

Simple Drills for Step 1

Drill 1: Elbows Up Glide

• Start in shallow or deep water with the ball at arm’s length.

• Bring your elbows up and out, in line with your head.

• Glide forward with small kicks, focusing just on feeling the “shield” position.

• Don’t worry about speed—just feel balanced.

Drill 2: Partner Tap Drill

• Player swims slowly with elbows up.

• Partner swims next to them and tries lightly to tap or touch the ball.

• The goal: keep elbows up and use the “shield” to protect the ball without grabbing or pushing.

Do these slowly at first. The goal is awareness and position, not racing.

Step 2: Flutter Kick on the Surface – White Water Behind You

Once your upper body is set, we move to the engine: your legs.

A lot of youth players swim with the ball like this:

• Legs deep in the water

• Big, slow kicks

• Feet pointing down, dragging like an anchor

Result?

• They feel heavy

• They get tired quickly

• The ball doesn’t move smoothly

What You Want Instead

You want a strong flutter kick on the surface so there is white water behind you.

That means:

• Your legs are up near the surface, not hanging deep.

• Your toes are pointed, and the kick is quick and small, not huge and wild.

• You see a small “trail” of white water behind your feet.

This gives you:

• Speed – You move forward quickly without extra effort.

• Lift – Your hips stay high, which makes it easier to keep your chest and head above the ball.

• Effortless feeling – You’re not dragging your body through the water; you’re gliding.

How to Feel the Right Kick

Think of a kickboard drill:

• When your kick is good, the kickboard rides high and you move easily.

• When your kick is weak or deep, the board feels heavy and slow.

Swimming with the ball is similar, except the ball is your “kickboard” and your upper body.

Common Mistakes

1. Huge kicks that break the water everywhere

   • Looks powerful, but wastes energy and often drops your hips.

2. Tiny, lazy kicks underwater

   • No white water, no speed; legs are too low.

3. Bent knees, bicycle-style

   • Creates drag instead of propulsion; very common in beginners.

Drills for Step 2

Drill 1: Flutter Kick Only (No Arms)

• Hold the ball lightly out in front of you with both hands.

• Look slightly forward.

• Kick only, focusing on:

  • Toes pointed

  • Small fast kicks

  • White water behind your feet

Drill 2: “White Water Challenge”

• Coach or parent stands at the side and calls out:

  • “More white water!” or “Legs on the surface!”

• Players adjust their kick until the trailing water is visible.

Drill 3: 10m “On/Off” Intervals

• Swim 10 meters with strong flutter kick + ball

• Swim 10 meters relaxed (easy kick) + ball

• Feel the difference in speed and body position.

This helps kids understand why the correct kick matters, not just “because coach said so”.

Step 3: Head Above the Ball – See the Pool

The last step brings everything together.

When your elbows are up and your kick is on the surface, your body is already in a good line. Now you focus on head position and vision.

What You Want

• Your head stays above or slightly behind the ball, not buried in it.

• Your eyes look forward, not straight down.

• You can see:

  • Where you’re going

  • Teammates

  • Defenders closing in

  • The goal

This is what makes the stroke feel effortless: your body is doing the work below, and up top your job is to steer and read the game.

Why Head Above the Ball Matters

1. Better awareness

   • You can see passing options and defenders.

2. Better balance

   • If your head dives down, your hips sink, and suddenly the stroke becomes heavy.

3. Better decision making

   • You don’t arrive at the end of your swim “blind.” You already know if you’ll shoot, pass, or keep going.

Common Mistakes

1. Head buried in the chest / ball under chin

   • Player looks like they are “eating” the ball.

   • They can’t see what’s happening around them.

2. Head too far back

   • Over-arching neck, uncomfortable breathing, and often poor control of the ball.

3. Looking at the ball the whole time

   • Checking the ball constantly instead of trusting their feel.

Drills for Step 3

Drill 1: “Eyes on the Cone”

• Place a cone or marker at the end of the lane.

• Player must swim with the ball and keep their eyes on the cone, not on the ball.

• If they start staring at the ball, remind them to trust their feel.

Drill 2: Coach Call-Out

• Coach stands at the side and occasionally raises a hand, shows a number with fingers, or calls left/right.

• Player must say the number or react to the direction while still swimming with the ball.

• This forces them to keep head up and awareness active.

Putting All 3 Steps Together

Once players understand each step individually—elbows, legs, head—it’s time to combine them.

A simple progression for youth water polo training (ages 10–15):

Phase 1: Slow and Controlled

• 10–15 meters swimming with the ball

• Focus on:

  • Elbows up

  • Smooth flutter kick on the surface

  • Head above the ball

• Not a race. Control first.

Phase 2: Add Speed

• Same distance, but now at game speed.

• Encourage players to notice when technique falls apart:

  • Does the ball start to bounce away?

  • Do the legs sink?

  • Does the head drop?

The goal here is to build the ability to hold good technique even when going fast.

Phase 3: Under Pressure

• 1v1 chase drills:

  • Player with the ball swims from mid-pool toward the goal.

  • Defender starts a few meters behind and tries to catch.

  • Attacker focuses on:

    • Protecting the ball with elbows

    • Strong flutter kick

    • Head up to see space and goal

This makes the skill real—it’s not just a pretty stroke in an empty lane; it’s something they can use in games.

How to Fit This Into Weekly Youth Water Polo Training

For kids 10–15, you don’t need a full practice only for swimming with the ball. Instead, you can sprinkle it throughout the week:

Option 1: Warm-Up Block

• 2–4 x 15m elbows up glide

• 2–4 x 15m flutter kick focus

• 2–4 x 15m full stroke with ball

This puts the technique in their head early in practice, so it shows up later in drills and scrimmages.

Option 2: Technical Station

If you run stations:

• Station 1: Passing and catching

• Station 2: Shooting

• Station 3: Swimming with the ball (3 steps)

Every player cycles through, gets coaching reminders on elbows / legs / head, and then uses it in game-like drills.

Option 3: Counterattack Work

Whenever you do counterattack drills:

• Make at least some reps with the ball, not just free swimming.

• Remind players of the 3 cues:

  • “Elbows!”

  • “White water!”

  • “Head up!”

The more often they hear and feel those cues, the faster the technique becomes automatic.

Common Questions from Players and Parents

“Should my child swim with the ball as fast as possible from the start?”

No. First slow, then fast.

At ages 10–15, you want them to build the right movement pattern:

• Elbows up

• Legs on the surface

• Head above the ball

Once that feels natural, then you push speed.
If you rush speed too early, they go back to bad habits: big splashing kicks, low elbows, head buried.

“Is this only for drivers and wings?”

No. Every position needs it:

• Centers need to win front position and swim onto 2m with control.

• Guards need to chase counters and sometimes break out themselves.

• Goalies need good ball swimming when they join attack or reposition.

This is a universal water polo skill, especially in modern, fast games.

“What if my child keeps losing the ball when they try this?”

That’s normal at first.

Tell them:

• It’s okay to lose the ball while they’re learning.

• Focus on one step at a time:

  • First elbows

  • Then add legs

  • Then head above the ball

As control improves, the ball will start “sticking” to their body line.

How Online Training Helps Kids Master This Faster

In a crowded pool practice, coaches often don’t have enough time to:

• Explain each detail of elbow position, leg action, and head alignment

• Show slow-motion demos

• Repeat corrections individually for every player

That’s where online water polo courses and classes are powerful.

Inside Waterpolo University, kids can:

• Watch clear video breakdowns of skills like swimming with the ball, passing, shooting, defense, and more

• Pause, rewind, and rewatch as many times as needed

• Combine what they see online with what they practice at their club

For many players—especially those who only have a few practices per week—this extra layer of structured youth water polo training online makes a huge difference.

Get a Personalized Training Plan (Free)

If you’re not sure where swimming with the ball fits into your overall water polo training, I can help you with that.

On the Waterpolo University homepage, there is a blue button:

“Start Here – Get Your Personalized Plan”

Here’s how it works:

1. You (or your child) fill out a short “Tell Us About Yourself” form.

2. You share age, position, current level, and main goals.

3. I review your answers personally.

4. I send you a step-by-step plan with:

   • Which online water polo courses and classes to start with

   • How often to train

   • How to combine club practices with extra drills at home

That way, swimming with the ball is not just one random drill.
It becomes part of a complete youth water polo training system.

Take the Next Step: Individual Membership or Club License

If you’re ready to go beyond a single blog and really structure your training:

• 👉 Individual Membership – Get access to all youth water polo courses, drills, and lessons inside Waterpolo University, including swimming with the ball, passing, shooting, defense, dryland, and more. Perfect for players ages 10–15 who want a clear path to improve.

• 👉 Club License – If you’re a coach or a parent helping a full team, a club license gives your entire group access to the same training system and dryland programs, so everyone learns the same fundamentals and improves together.

You can also always start with the free personalized plan, then decide which option fits best.

Learning to swim with the ball in 3 simple steps—elbows up, flutter kick on the surface, head above the ball—will make you:

• Safer under pressure

• Faster in counters

• More effortless and confident in the water

Build this now at 10–15, and it will stay with you for your entire water polo career.