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!
Kickboards are good for improving kicking strength, as they isolate the kick. You have to take it seriously, of course. I just find that I "cheat" with too much pulling/sculling when I don't have a board. I do think boards are pretty useless, even for this purpose, for backstroke and butterfly kicking. Backstroke kicking can be done in a streamline just fine and butterfly kicking is more about form that kick strength (core strength is a different matter). Breaststrokers benefit greatly from improved leg strength. If kickboards don't teach proper form, well, that's what drills are for!
I hate kickboards because they hurt my shoulders. Never use them. But I can see that they might be useful for BR kick, possbily flutter kick as well (although I don't use a board for flutter kicking). I can't see any use for kickboards for backstroke or dolphin kick though. Midas and Willow are right. For that, get a monofin or do shooters and longer kicks sans board.
Kickboards are good for improving kicking strength, as they isolate the kick. You have to take it seriously, of course. I just find that I "cheat" with too much pulling/sculling when I don't have a board. I do think boards are pretty useless, even for this purpose, for backstroke and butterfly kicking. Backstroke kicking can be done in a streamline just fine and butterfly kicking is more about form that kick strength (core strength is a different matter). Breaststrokers benefit greatly from improved leg strength. If kickboards don't teach proper form, well, that's what drills are for!
I hate kickboards because they hurt my shoulders. Never use them. But I can see that they might be useful for BR kick, possbily flutter kick as well (although I don't use a board for flutter kicking). I can't see any use for kickboards for backstroke or dolphin kick though. Midas and Willow are right. For that, get a monofin or do shooters and longer kicks sans board.
