Personally, I think kickboards are evil, evil, evil. When I was swimming 20 years ago in high school I didn't see the point, and now that I'm 38 I still don't see the point.
Happily though, I've read in several books and seen on a few video tapes that many coaches have come around to my line of thinking, "Kickboards put you in an unnatural heads-up position, emphasize the least effective part of the stroke (the kick), and keep you from rotating."
Since I see people swim with kickboards every day I know many people disagree with me. But, there's no way they're going to change my mind. Instead - let's vote!
Parents
Former Member
People who swim breaststroke should NEVER use a kick board.
Using a kick board cause the hips to sink and bad technique to be "learned" by the leg muscles.
It is very important to kick without a kick board, and to learn to kick while the head and body are streamlined, and slightly underwater. Every single swimmer is faster underwater than on the surface. Simple drag theory.
By kicking and GLIDING after each kick, breaststroke becomes easy.
Plus some swimmers are 60-80 percent leg power in breaststroke. Taking it easy during a kick set is the wrong way to go for breaststrokers. It would be like freestylers talking during a pull set, not much gets accomplished:D
People who swim breaststroke should NEVER use a kick board.
Using a kick board cause the hips to sink and bad technique to be "learned" by the leg muscles.
It is very important to kick without a kick board, and to learn to kick while the head and body are streamlined, and slightly underwater. Every single swimmer is faster underwater than on the surface. Simple drag theory.
By kicking and GLIDING after each kick, breaststroke becomes easy.
Plus some swimmers are 60-80 percent leg power in breaststroke. Taking it easy during a kick set is the wrong way to go for breaststrokers. It would be like freestylers talking during a pull set, not much gets accomplished:D
