I’m Not a natural swimmer. But I’ve been doing tris for the past 15+years. My kick is pretty bad, but in a race with a wetsuit, I don’t really need to kick much. I’m not as strong as I used to be, but I did manage to swim 32 in a half last year. Wondering how long it would potentially take to try and develop a 2 beat kick. Is this something that can be done in months, or years? I don’t think I’ll be racing for that much longer, so if this is something that takes years, I can’t do it. Any advice would be helpful
If you were swimming 5-6k or more per week, focusing on the kick with some drills and in the rotating inventory of form (staying present), you could realistically gain this reflex in 4-6 months. I would imagine you would develop it as you have other habits. If those 15 years of swimming were at 30k per week, that’s a different story. 32min for 1900m is pretty solid though, so you can’t be that bad at it.
As the saying goes, “old dogs can’t learn new tricks…” but you’re not a dog, so have at it!
I was a bit like you, and fairly late in my “tri-carreer” somebody gave me a heads-up that my kick sucked and that I ought to improve that for better rotation and balance! And yes, it did give me a much better stroke and feel. This is 10 years back, but I still practice, almost every swim session.
I used fins to learn, as they give you a good horizontal placement in the water and it´s easier to coordinate (for me at least).
So for me, I do this: When I put me RIGHT arm in the water, I kick with my LEFT foot. And visa versa really.
Think “push down” with the arch/toes of your feet. Dont seek propulsion, but lift (of your legs). And use the push to rotate.
Took me 2-3 weeks to get the timing good. Swim 400-800m with fins every set for 3-4 months and it will come to you. Good luck 
I’m Not a natural swimmer. But I’ve been doing tris for the past 15+years. My kick is pretty bad, but in a race with a wetsuit, I don’t really need to kick much. I’m not as strong as I used to be, but I did manage to swim 32 in a half last year. Wondering how long it would potentially take to try and develop a 2 beat kick. Is this something that can be done in months, or years? I don’t think I’ll be racing for that much longer, so if this is something that takes years, I can’t do it. Any advice would be helpful
I saw a YouTube video on 2beat kick, and it said the opposite. It said that you should with with your right foot when you’re starting the catch of your right arm?
What is your natural kick rhythm? Is it 4 or 6 beat kick?
Or is it just not really any kick at all and the legs kind of float and don’t do anything?
I do a two beat kick and I personally prefer to think of my kick as when I start my left pull I do a left leg kick and right pull right kick.
But you may find it easier to imagine and feel the timing doing the pull and kick sequence the way the poster above explained. It’s the same thing really.
I would watch the total immersion videos as they make it really simple to watch and learn two beat kick
Why are you wanting to learn this? not critical just curious
Pro Joshua Lewis did a YouTube video in which he was working on his kick and suggested using a pull bouy. I’ve tried it and it definitely helps develop the timing for 2 beat, as you don’t have to worry about body balance so much. Then once you’ve got the timing remove the bouy.
I’m no expert, but I’ve been swimming a long time and I have a 2 beat kick. I grew up swimming but my focus was backstroke. For reasons I don’t fully understand i’ve always had a 2 beak kick when swimming freestyle (and I wish that was not the case but I always found it very hard to change). Turned out not to be a bad thing when I switched to tri’s.
I think that modifying your kick is actually hard. At the very least it will take a lot of practice to rewire what feels comfortable and natural. I also think this might depend on how fast you are. I’ve been swimming a very long time so I’m fast for a triathlete. I only note that because I think for a 2 beat kick to work you have to be fast enough for your legs not to become boat anchors. I guess speed combined with core strength.
Good luck!
I saw a YouTube video on 2beat kick, and it said the opposite. It said that you should with with your right foot when you’re starting the catch of your right arm?
I’ll try to answer. There are three things happening at one time. Right arm enters the water, Left arm is the power part of the pull where your lat is really engaged, and you are kicking with your left foot. It all happens pretty close to each other.
One beat of kick starts the rotation. My right arm is recovering and about to enter when my left leg kicks to jump start the rotation. Right arm enters and straightens out and now I’m fully rotated onto my right side. If done correctly, it feels like you are lunging forward slightly with your right arm.
When thinking about just the left side, imagine that your body is a canoe with one rower in the front and one in the back. Your arms are the front rower and legs are the back rower. The two rowers row at the same time for maximum efficiency. So it make sense that the left arm and left leg are pulling and kicking at the same time. Right leg and right arm pull and kick at the same time.
Four and six beak kicks have two larger kicks to drive the rotation described above and then smaller kicks in between to hit the total of 4 or 6.
For me, I only breath on one side and the kick to rotate my body at the end of the breath is larger than the one on the other side. Hopefully you are thoroughly confused now.
So for me, I do this: When I put me RIGHT arm in the water, I kick with my LEFT foot. And visa versa really.
Think “push down” with the arch/toes of your feet. Dont seek propulsion, but lift (of your legs). And use the push to rotate.
This is not the right way to do 2 beat. You use the right leg to kick when the right hand starts/does the catch (this video shows the right way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gjWQW2ubpA&t=46s&ab_channel=LOVELYSWIMMER
To the OP, I think you can get it in few months, don’t expect to be Ledecky anytime soon though. Work with a good swimming coach. Once you get the pendulum motion feel a few times, it just clicks. I love swimming on 2 beat, I find it very relaxing despite not going as fast as 4 or 6 beat.
If you can swim a 32 in a legit half ironman swim, you should be able to teach yourself the 2-beat kick in like a few sessions - you can’t have such bad coordination or lack of timing between your legs and your arms if you’re swimming 32s on legit HIM swim courses that aren’t current assisted.
But seriously - I can swim 2 beat kick no problem (took practice) but I can’t swim a 32 in a legit HIM swim, not even close, sadly. And compared to ‘normal’ people and even ‘average’ triathletes, I’m a decent swimmer!
You have it backwards.
I’m Not a natural swimmer. But I’ve been doing tris for the past 15+years. My kick is pretty bad, but in a race with a wetsuit, I don’t really need to kick much. I’m not as strong as I used to be, but I did manage to swim 32 in a half last year. Wondering how long it would potentially take to try and develop a 2 beat kick. Is this something that can be done in months, or years? I don’t think I’ll be racing for that much longer, so if this is something that takes years, I can’t do it. Any advice would be helpful
Kicking is a very controversial topic but I really think most people adopt the kick that works for them, to some degree this is an unconscious thing. IOW, a strong kicker will kick a fast 6-beat kick b/c he can feel his body moving faster due to his kick; a pretty good kicker will put less effort into his kick; a not good kicker less; and a terrible kicker just the slightest effort, e.g. a light 2-beat. Ernie Maglischo said in one of his books, or maybe in all of them, that many swimmers adopt a 2-beat kick simply to “survive” their long practices. That was certainly true for me and you’ll only find me 6-beating in like the last 10 meters of a race. Also, since you said most races are wettie-legal for you, and hence you don’t kick much, you may already be using a 2-beat and just aren’t really aware of it. In any case, I don’t think that any swimmer sets out to “develop a 2-beat kick” b/c it is just not very propulsive, but rather swimmers settle into the 2-beat b/c they realize that they’re just not getting enough out of their kick to justify the energy required for a strong 6-beat. Further, I think you really need to ignore all of this talk about the sequence of kick and pull, but rather just let your kick take care of itself. Even at the slowest paces, we’re turning over too fast to think about right pull, left kick, or whatever.
So for me, I do this: When I put me RIGHT arm in the water, I kick with my LEFT foot. And visa versa really.
Think “push down” with the arch/toes of your feet. Dont seek propulsion, but lift (of your legs). And use the push to rotate.
This is not the right way to do 2 beat. You use the right leg to kick when the right hand starts/does the catch (this video shows the right way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gjWQW2ubpA&t=46s&ab_channel=LOVELYSWIMMER
To the OP, I think you can get it in few months, don’t expect to be Ledecky anytime soon though. Work with a good swimming coach. Once you get the pendulum motion feel a few times, it just clicks. I love swimming on 2 beat, I find it very relaxing despite not going as fast as 4 or 6 beat.
Actually you’re both right. You right kick when you’re just about to finish your right catch which in proper front quadrant swimming also coincides with your left arm entering the water. And vice versa.
I will give you the benefit of doubt that you are not trolling…
Sorry, but no, you and Mulen are really confused with the technique. It is a common blunder to do it the opposite way like the video shows it in a section, it even looks good, some people find it natural but it is inefficient.
Watch a video of Ledecky swimming underwater in slow mo to grasp the concept.
Never truer words spoken
.
No mate! At no moment in time did I mention the word “Catch”.
I said: I kick with left foot the moment my right hand enters the water. As per your video, this is EXCACTLY what we see below:
Right hand enters the water - Left foot initiates kick. Does that coincide with the left-hand catch? Yes it does!
Do you agree? Thank you
So for me, I do this: When I put me RIGHT arm in the water, I kick with my LEFT foot. And visa versa really.
Think “push down” with the arch/toes of your feet. Dont seek propulsion, but lift (of your legs). And use the push to rotate.
This is not the right way to do 2 beat. You use the right leg to kick when the right hand starts/does the catch (this video shows the right way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gjWQW2ubpA&t=46s&ab_channel=LOVELYSWIMMER
To the OP, I think you can get it in few months, don’t expect to be Ledecky anytime soon though. Work with a good swimming coach. Once you get the pendulum motion feel a few times, it just clicks. I love swimming on 2 beat, I find it very relaxing despite not going as fast as 4 or 6 beat.
Never truer words spoken
Thanks, I thought you might agree. It seems to me that you either have the flexibility to do a strong flutter kick or you don’t. If you have that, then obv you use it. If you don’t, you just don’t kick much and pull as hard as you can.
Ok, I see what you mean. I stand corrected.
All good
Ok, I see what you mean. I stand corrected.
Ok, I see what you mean. I stand corrected.
So I wasn’t trolling after all