The Swim Move: A DE's Counter Weapon

The swim move has a reputation. Coaches will tell you it's a high-risk move because it exposes your ribs to the tackle's punch. They'll tell you it's a college move you shouldn't try until you can win with bull and rip. They're half-right. The swim is a high-risk move when you don't set it up. Set it up the right way and it's the easiest sack on your tape.

What it actually is

The swim is a counter. It is not a primary move. You don't line up planning to swim every snap. You line up planning to bull rush — or at least to threaten one — and the swim is what you call in your head when the tackle over-commits to stopping the bull.

The move itself is simple: you punch through, rip your near arm under his chest, and bring your far arm over the top of his shoulder like you're freestyle swimming. The over-the-top arm is the part everyone copies. The under-and-through arm is the part nobody copies, which is exactly why most swims fail.

Setup is everything

You cannot swim a tackle who is balanced. You can only swim a tackle who is leaning. So your first job is to make him lean. That means two or three real bull rush reps earlier in the drive. He has to feel the threat in his chest before he'll over-set against it. If you've spent the whole first quarter rushing soft, you've earned no swim setups.

When you walk back to the huddle after a hard bull, look at the tackle. Is he breathing heavy? Is he glancing at the sideline? Is he resetting his stance wider than before? Those are tells. He's bracing for the next collision. The next rush you call is your swim.

The mechanics, step by step

Get off the ball the same way you would for a bull rush. Same first step. Same eyes. Same threat. You want the tackle to read bull. The first quarter-second of the rep should be indistinguishable from a power rush.

As you arrive at contact, do not lower your pads to deliver a strike. Instead, punch your inside hand at his outside pec — sharp and short, just enough to push his shoulder back and create a gap under his armpit. At the same time, rip your outside arm down and through, like you're trying to throw your elbow at the opposite end zone. This is the "under" part of the swim. It moves your body sideways, around the tackle's leverage.

Your "over" arm — your inside arm — comes up and over the top of his shoulder pad. Not a flop. A whip. Pull yourself past him by pulling his shoulder pad down behind you. Your eyes flip immediately to the quarterback.

Where most swims die

Three places. First, the over arm goes around the tackle instead of through. If your arm is in the air, you have no leverage. Your arm has to drive down into the back of his shoulder so you can pull yourself past.

Second, the rip arm doesn't finish. Half of high school swims look like a kid waving at the tackle. The rip arm has to clear all the way through to your opposite hip pocket, so your shoulders rotate and your hips turn upfield.

Third — and this is the one nobody talks about — the feet stop. If you swim while your feet are planted, you're a target. Your feet have to keep churning through the move so that when your arms clear, your body is already two yards past the tackle.

Counters to the counter

Smart tackles will see a swim setup and punch your ribs as you cross their face. That's why coaches call it risky. The defense against the punch is to rip hard, not to swim slowly. The faster and lower your rip arm goes, the less surface area he has to punch. If you're getting hit in the ribs, you're swimming too tall.

When to use it

You should be able to swim left and swim right with equal comfort, but use it sparingly. A good rule: no more than one swim per series, and never on first down. First-down rushes are bull setups. Second-and-long and third-and-long are when the tackle is in his deepest pass set, his weight on his heels, and the swim is on the menu.

Drill it cold

Get a pop-up dummy or a partner with a shield. Bull rush three reps in a row, hard. On the fourth rep, swim. Reset. Do this until the move feels like a continuation of the bull, not a separate thing. The swim isn't a different move. It's the same move with a different finish.