Kicking: Rx for faster swimming

Swimming Technique, Apr-Jun 2001 by Jordan, Shaun

Are you ready for a challenge that is sure to lead to faster swimming? If so, you should devote more of your workout time to kicking.

Kicking is the backbone Of any good freestyle. A good kick raises the body in the water, drives the hips and shoulders, and allows for full extension at the top of the freestyle stroke. Kicking puts that pretty glide into those strokes we all envy. Today's world-class swimmers must have a great kick regardless of whether the race is 50 meters or 1500 meters.

As we begin our kicking journey, there are some important things to remember:

Be patient and understand that learning to kick is largely a function of repetition. After a few million kicks, you should be able to master the skill!

Flexible ankles are important in kicking. In fact, super-flexible ankles are a common trait among fast kickers. Your ankles will become more flexible the more you kick.

1. Body Position

Let's start with a body position check. Find some deep water and move off of the wall a meter or so. Kick with your feet beneath your body and your hands at your side, head out of the water. Don't sit in the water. Stay straight with the hips forward and directly beneath your chest (Photo #1). The legs should generate quick kicks with the feet slightly pigeon-toed or turned in. This usually gives a swimmer the chance to feel thick, resistant water.

2. Ankle Flexibility

One of the ways to improve your ankle flexibility is with stretches. My favorite ankle stretch is done by sitting on my heels and working the stretch on top of my ankles by leaning back on my toes (see next page). The more flexible your ankles and feet, the more they can work like flippers. Begin your kick. slowly and increase the yard-age and intensity gradually.

3. Like A Bout

I like to talk about kicking in terms of a boat, its motor, the drive shaft and the propeller. In freestyle, the kick's motor lies in the hips and is supported by the abdominal muscles. The torso drives the entire stroke-both the kick and roll of the stroke. The power travels down the leg like a drive shaft and is transferred to the feet, which acts like a propeller. The knees bend slightly, enough for the top of the foot to push against the water. Flexible, relaxed and fast should be the kicker's mindset. But remember: big kicks create drag (Photo #3).

4. Side Kick Drill

With this mindset, we can now focus on the real thing. There are many ways to increase your kicking yardage in workout. The most often overlooked kicking set is the stroke drill set. All stroke drills double as kick drills. The easiest drill is the side kick drill. This is the base drill for all freestyle stroke drills. Side kicking is the most productive way to do your freestyle kicking.

When kicking on your side, your hips will be perpendicular to the bottom of the pool. When you kick on your left side, you will have your left arm out in front with your right arm resting on your right hip. You must remember that the lead hand must be palm down in the water (Photo #4).

This position creates lift in the freestyle stroke. Beginners will kick with their ear on the lead shoulder, while more advanced swimmers will kick with their chin on their lead shoulder. This contact with the shoulder is critical in keeping your hips high in the water. If you lift that ear or chin off the shoulder, your hips will sink quickly.

If you feel like you are sinking, rather than simply kicking harder, stretch your arm as far out in front of yourself as you can. This stretches out the body, causing your hips to rise in the water, reducing drag. Remember, this is not a power game; rather, it is a finesse, streamline game. The side kick will not only teach you how to kick, but it will also help you learn the balance necessary to have a long, smooth freestyle.

5. More Drills

The other drills I enjoy doing are all variations of side kicking. The 10/3/10 drill is done by kicking 10 times on your left side, taking three long freestyle strokes, then 10 kicks on your right side. Repeat this for the distance of your choice.

Under-water streamline kicking is another great drill (see next page). You will learn how to reduce body drag-with a great streamline-while simultaneously learning to generate power with your feet. Start slowly, and before you know it, you will be going the whole 25 yards underwater without a breath.

6. Kicking with the Kickboard

When using the kickboard, I recommend that everyone begin with slow kicking with the feet completely underwater. The water will boil, but the feet should not break the surface. This will help you get a feel for the water with your feet. Fast, smaller kicks, with the feet under the surface searching for thick water, will create the most propulsion (as shown above).

Most people equate using the kickboard with "social time." Slow, easy kicking is important and should be part of every workout. However, we must put emphasis on high-intensity kicking as well. The kick set should have the same thought put into it as the other parts of the workout.