Here is one of the most inefficient things taught or not focused on when learning to swim. When coaching I usually watch some of the swim lessons going on. Here is what I hear and see…”Kick, kick, kick, kick”. That’s all is said. In reality you don’t want to just kick like kicking a soccer ball (without any other kicking reference what do we know otherwise?). When you kick, your legs should be straight, feet pointed, and toes relaxed. Your legs should be springy and visualize them being connected into the body not just at the hips. Also, when you kick it shouldn’t just be with one side of your leg. You are missing a huge piece of propulsion and not using the strongest muscles in the body. Kick with both sides of your legs, up and down. Also, feel the water all around you legs and try to make it thicker feeling. When kicking the rhythm should always be even. Don’t let a larger kick slip into the rhythm. Keep the kick small and fast.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
-Coach Ty http://swimworkoutsonline.com
Parents
Former Member
but as soon as I start to sprint, my legs pop out of the water
This sounds weird. Perhaps your body is going into some weird banana orientation. The back should not be arched. Suck the abs in. Otherwise, for most people, the problem is that the legs are sinking and cause a lot of extra drag. The legs need to be high, but not rise. The goal is that they be in-line with the rest of the body.
Second, are you rolling? Freestyle should spend very little time flat on the tummy. Kicking is mostly sideways really.
Get some alignment drills in.
(1) do the kicking drills with no kick board. practice stretching the neck and extending the head in line. practice getting the kick in-line with the rolling motions. face should be pointing in the same direction as the belly button. resist looking up, down or sideways. kickboards make you look up. if necessary, but the kickboard in half and keep the face in the water.
(2) try some vertical kicking drills. cross the arms over the chest and make the body straight. flutter kick to keep the head above the water. make the entire body quiet and still except for the legs in this exercise. do this until the body stays in place.
but as soon as I start to sprint, my legs pop out of the water
This sounds weird. Perhaps your body is going into some weird banana orientation. The back should not be arched. Suck the abs in. Otherwise, for most people, the problem is that the legs are sinking and cause a lot of extra drag. The legs need to be high, but not rise. The goal is that they be in-line with the rest of the body.
Second, are you rolling? Freestyle should spend very little time flat on the tummy. Kicking is mostly sideways really.
Get some alignment drills in.
(1) do the kicking drills with no kick board. practice stretching the neck and extending the head in line. practice getting the kick in-line with the rolling motions. face should be pointing in the same direction as the belly button. resist looking up, down or sideways. kickboards make you look up. if necessary, but the kickboard in half and keep the face in the water.
(2) try some vertical kicking drills. cross the arms over the chest and make the body straight. flutter kick to keep the head above the water. make the entire body quiet and still except for the legs in this exercise. do this until the body stays in place.
