Advice with freestyle kick

Triathlon Forum
1

I’m frantically tying to improve my swimming before IMUK this summer and at the moment its definitely my weakest leg. I feel like I’m making steady improvements following a programme I cribbed from a magazine and swim 3 times a week for a total of about 8,000m. Unfortunately however I can’t seem to get any propulsion from my leg kick. I know a lot of triathletes don’t use their legs much but I’d love to sort a decent alround stroke anyway. Work means I can’t get to a club and as a result my technique’s pretty agricultural but I can’t tell if this is my problem or if I’m just not strong enough and will get better with practise.

Does anyone know of a decent online tutorial or book I could get my hands on to help or do you just have any handy hints for someone in my position?

Cheers.

P.s. nothing is too basic - rhythm, speed, bend at the knee or the hip, point your toes or feet floppy etc. etc. - all advice gratefully received!

2

Definately check out Doug Stern’s posts. You’ll find some great info in there. Find a list here. You’ll also find plenty of info if you just do a general search on ST (for something like ‘swim kick’).

Someone on ST pointed me toward this book (Swimming Fastest, by Ernest W. Maglischo). Worth looking into, very technical and very interesting.

I would also have to recommend this ebook by Rich Strauss. Some good tips + underwater video.

I’m sure there are many more. Good luck.

tom

3

You’ll want to check out Coach Hines’ three articles on properly integrating the kick with freestyle swimming. Has a good progression to follow.

The bttom up swimming series is what you want.

http://www.h2oustonswims.org/articles.html

Oh, yes, also check what Doug Stern has written on freestyle kicking here. He also puts it nicely.

4

Lucky,

Check out your feet. Are you able to point your toes? That is the key to a kick. Practice kicking on your back while holding a kickboard by your thighs. The boards purpose is to prevent you from lifting your knees out of the water. When you swim think of kicking up then down.

Many problems in kicking are actually head and arm problems.

Check some of my previous posts for an in depth discussion.

DougStern

5

I’m going to have to do a search of your posts. After flexing and flexing my feet for about a week (which, by the way, are now pointed like a friggin’ ballerina), I was able to knock out a 25 meter kick in a rockin’ 45 seconds. Lap 2 was 55 seconds. My 4-year-old’s swim teacher was shaking his head in pity. Thank god I’m a triathlete and not a ‘swimmer’.