Transitioning from distance to sprint: the kick

Thanks for the additional info! Below I've listed a few drills that you can try. You'll see that some of them involve kicking within the context of the pull motion. You should practice these over short distances only, depending upon your level and ability, combined with fullstroke. - Roll shoulders drill is excellent for achieving body balance, rotation in the water and maintaining a consistent and faster-paced kick. In this drill, you're on your stomach, arms at side and rotate along your body axis (keeping your head still) while kicking continuously. You breathe bilaterally to the side every 3rd rotation - Single arm hesitation drill is a fundamental drill that will allow you to focus on keeping up your kick during the stroke cycle by using only one arm and hesitating for 2 seconds during the recovery phase of the pull. Be sure to breathe every stroke on this drill. - The drill that you mentioned (the 6 beat switch) is what we call side-to-side, but you can also do a variation on this by taking 3 side-to-side strokes, followed by 3 fullstrokes for the duration of the set. - Fingertip drag is also a great drill for developing a consistent kick throughout the duration of the stroke cycle. Fingertip drag mimics the fullstroke with the exception that you drag your fingertips across the water during the recovery phase of the pull, thus slowing down your arm recovery and allowing you to increase the speed and beats of your kick. Given that you've been swimming over 20 years with a 2-beat kick, it will take a good deal of time and energy to work up to the 6-beat kick, so don't get frustrated if your progress is slower than expected - this is completely normal and it takes years for swimmers to develop this type of fast-paced kick. You can always check out my website (http://www.swimspire.com) or email me if you want further help! Good luck! Julia Galan http://www.swimspire.com

What types of kicking drills are you using to try to develop the 6-beat kick? There are certain types of drills that can work towards a 6 beat, rotational kick... Julia Galan www.swimspire.com

What types of kicking drills are you using to try to develop the 6-beat kick? There are certain types of drills that can work towards a 6 beat, rotational kick... Julia Galan www.swimspire.com Ahh thanks! I do two: kicking streamlined on back and streamlined face down with a snorkel. I cannot use a kickboard due to neck issues from being rear ended by a drunk driver about 20 years ago. That said I like streamlined kicking b/c it feels much more like my 'swimming' kick. Thanks for some tips with rotational kicking. If you are referring to kicking on side with downside streamlined I do that a ton mixed in strokes: 6 beat switch. Part of my warm up.

I've just started experimenting with some intentional glute-engagement too, vo2. It feels so right that I have to assume this is what "good swimmers" normally do without anyone telling them to. In general, I'm making the "amazing" discovery - as in "DUH" - that there is a group of muscles that "anchor" the legs to the torso and another group that anchors the arms. And lo and behold, those muscles actually have to be fully engaged and firing when you try to use your arms and legs to move!! Pretty smart, eh? (For anyone wondering "How else could you move?" trust me, there are lazy, cheater ways of moving that over-rely on more peripheral muscles.) This is sort of related to earlier discussions of "core muscles" - but a bit different. "Anchor muscles?" As always, encouraging to hear people making parallel discoveries. Hope you KICK ass on your next sprint race.

I mainly do 2-beat as well - bumping up to 4-beat (I think) for faster swims. The glut-engagement thingy seem to apply in all types of kicking, all strokes, and also even in walking/running. Also, could've mentioned that I also have to focus on firing those muscles of the inside upper thigh (adductors? - the ones you use to squeeze legs together) in all these activities as well. Those have gone so underused I've been doing drylands to try to bring them back to life. Those, plus gluts, seem to provide a pretty good base of support for more "natural," efficient leg movement. Sounds like you're saying that faster kicking/6-beat is less straight-leg than 2-beat? Didn't know that - will check that out.

Oh cool glad it's clicking for you too. I have even found it applies to my trusty 2 beat as well even though it's essentially a straight leg with that approach. It's more of a body line/rigidity thing with a 2 beat, but has certainly given me a boost towards the end of longer sets in that my legs don't get draggy. On good days my 2 beat would have my heels just kissing the surface only occasionally, but now they are there all the time which simply means less drag. Have yet to do a hammer session of longer stuff, but will try it out on my open water swim Sunday.

Thank you for the detailed info. Things are coming along great seeing improvement! Something my coach suggested with my desire to sink the legs to engage them better was to really focus on firing my glutes. In over 2 decades I have never once heard a coach say the kick should have gluteal input? I guess I'm just an idjit and we are supposed to know this, but wow once the initial soreness went away I have discovered a power source that blows away any kick technique I had used previously. Firing the glutes more automatically raised my legs AND gave me super fun kick power I have never had. Win!

Sounds like you're saying that faster kicking/6-beat is less straight-leg than 2-beat? Didn't know that - will check that out. Yea don't take my word as gospel, just try it an if it works for you great, if not pitch it! On both kicks the upbeat is definitely a straight leg. Downbeat is where it's different for me. 2 beat I keep them straight it's purely rotational generating. 6 beat flutter I'm actually getting some propulsion and I relent to the water a bit and have slight knee bend with relaxed ankles. GoSwim did a nice video on straight or 'straighter' leg kick not long ago that detailed it nicely.

Didn't Jonty Skinner accomplish his world record 100 free with a two -beat or 2 - beat crossover? I read the 2 crossover is ideal for lean swimmers that sink easily I can actually sprint very close to my peak speed using a 2- beat, maybe several 10ths slower for a 25. And I might even try the 2- beat in my next 100 fr race just for fun. Interestingly, I'm slightly faster doing dolphin kick free than with a 6-beat, but 25m is about the limit.

As a distance swimmer, it is natural that you would find the 6 beat kick challenging, not only in practice, but in theory. Your downhill feeling from the 2 beat is almost exactly opposite of the drive that a good 6 beat offers. If you are not comfortable with it, you likely feel as if you are plowing through the water. Since you only use it for 50 or 100, enjoy the ride. Kick like mad and don't get stuck thinking too much during the race. If your legs are paralyzed about 10 yards form the end, you probably kicked just right. Amplitude is not necessary, but it can be effective. Fiddle with the kick in practice and find what works best for you.