kick beats in reference to stroke cadence

Larry – There is no one answer to your question. In freestyle and backstroke, the position of the legs provides counter-balance to the position of the arms. The number of kicks per arm cycle depends on the race distance and the athlete: Continuous Kick (aka 6 beat kick): This is the optimal kick for speed and connecting the arms with the legs. I think this is what you are probably asking. It is also a challenge for many swimmers. Most swimmers, I think, equate 6 beat kicking with fast swimming. BUT, you can do a 6 beat kick and swim slow if you want. With this kick style, the legs are continuously moving – either up or down. During every arm cycle (both arms), there are 6 downkicks (3 alternating with each foot). There is minimal knee bend. The relative position is when the right arm is out front, the right foot is briefly higher than the left and vice versa. For every downkick with one foot, there is a compensating upkick by the other leg that causes the hips to rotate. The faster the hips change position, the faster the shoulders can change position and the faster the arms can move without shortening the stroke. This kick also results in reduced glide time at the front of the stroke because the arm cycle has to stay in sync with the kick cycle. This is why the fastest swimmers use a 6 beat kick. This kick uses the most amount of oxygen as well. Three/four Beat Cross-over: This a pretty common kick pattern that looks like three downkicks (alternating R-L-R followed by the feet crossing over at the ankles. The cross over is a compensation for a movement flaw in the rest somewhere in the rest of the body – usually caused during breathing. Two Beat Kick: This kick cadence means there is one downkick for each arm pull. This tends to be used for longer races to conserve energy. Usually, when the right arm is pulling, the left leg is slightly lower relative to the right leg and vice-versa. Cadence is limited and dependent on the length of one’s stroke. This not a good technique for sprinters. This Youtube Video link - may help a little. It shows a 2 beat and 6 beat kick side by side. The 3-4 beat cross-over is a hybrid. Some coaches suggest over-kicking towards 8 beats per arm cycle. I don’t seen the benefit since it disconnects the arm-leg connection which means you practice poor technique. Good Luck...

Larry – There is no one answer to your question. In freestyle and backstroke, the position of the legs provides counter-balance to the position of the arms. The number of kicks per arm cycle depends on the race distance and the athlete: Continuous Kick (aka 6 beat kick): This is the optimal kick for speed and connecting the arms with the legs. I think this is what you are probably asking. It is also a challenge for many swimmers. Most swimmers, I think, equate 6 beat kicking with fast swimming. BUT, you can do a 6 beat kick and swim slow if you want. With this kick style, the legs are continuously moving – either up or down. During every arm cycle (both arms), there are 6 downkicks (3 alternating with each foot). There is minimal knee bend. The relative position is when the right arm is out front, the right foot is briefly higher than the left and vice versa. For every downkick with one foot, there is a compensating upkick by the other leg that causes the hips to rotate. The faster the hips change position, the faster the shoulders can change position and the faster the arms can move without shortening the stroke. This kick also results in reduced glide time at the front of the stroke because the arm cycle has to stay in sync with the kick cycle. This is why the fastest swimmers use a 6 beat kick. This kick uses the most amount of oxygen as well. Three/four Beat Cross-over: This a pretty common kick pattern that looks like three downkicks (alternating R-L-R followed by the feet crossing over at the ankles. The cross over is a compensation for a movement flaw in the rest somewhere in the rest of the body – usually caused during breathing. Two Beat Kick: This kick cadence means there is one downkick for each arm pull. This tends to be used for longer races to conserve energy. Usually, when the right arm is pulling, the left leg is slightly lower relative to the right leg and vice-versa. Cadence is limited and dependent on the length of one’s stroke. This not a good technique for sprinters. This Youtube Video link - may help a little. It shows a 2 beat and 6 beat kick side by side. The 3-4 beat cross-over is a hybrid. Some coaches suggest over-kicking towards 8 beats per arm cycle. I don’t seen the benefit since it disconnects the arm-leg connection which means you practice poor technique. Good Luck...