Pulls great... swimming not so great...

I suspect you're like me: * I'm a weak kicker * The pull buoy raises my legs a bit and makes me more streamlined. I can pull faster than I can swim and I never use paddles, just a pull buoy. If you use paddles and suffer from the same kicking maladies I do I suspect your pull/swim difference is even greater. Skip

Check your head position also. Lifting your head will cause your hips to drop and add drag. Concentrate of pointing your nose at the bottom of the pool.

What pwolf said. Also, ask your coach about that. You can probably do a very good job with head position and other little technique tweaks as long as you're thinking about them. When you stop thinking about things you'll probably have a tendency to revert back to bad habits. Your coach can check your technique at random times. I'd try a six-beat kick. That will, I think, help keep your legs floating better as well. Skip

For 1 season, I kept pulling to a minimum in practices ... Alternate above with - just swim during the pull sets sets. ... If you are willing to be a bit slower for a while, I found this to really pay off for me. Limit pulling in your practices. Absolutely and ditto to CreamPuff's advice above. But, also, what are your goals? If you're looking to compete in meets or OW or tris, then swim more and pull less in practice. You need to practice primarily with the equipment you're going to compete with. I rarely pull, but I have the opposite problem where putting a buoy and paddles on me slows me down.

This is my problem too. The only solution is to practice your kick. I am still working on mine. I am my team's weakest kicker, and strongest puller.

yeah ... thats me... as the yardage piles up i tend to kick less and less... would you suggest a 2 beat or a 6 beat kick... my legs are VERY solid from me doing Karate when i was younger before i got into swimming...

This was me as well a while back. What got me to be a fast(er) swimmer (and this may sound crazy) - For 1 season, I kept pulling to a minimum in practices. I can pull fast and long till the cows come home. No need to fix that. Pulled w/ buoy only during pull sets (so go last when everyone else has paddles and buoy - or actually, go wherever it makes sense but try and keep up). Gave me a great feel for the water. Paddles prevented me from feeling the water. Alternate above with - just swim during the pull sets sets. Really work the kick sets. I did this for 1 season (last summer), and now I can swim pretty fast. If you are willing to be a bit slower for a while, I found this to really pay off for me. Limit pulling in your practices.

And one other cool side effect from training this way (swim mostly or pull just w/ a buoy) - I also became a faster puller! Who would have thought?

When I was an age group swimmer, I had this same issue, and I actually had a very good 6-beat kick. Put me on a kickboard, and I led the lane as well. What I've discovered since was that my pull during a pull set was very different than my pull just swimming. In the pull set, I felt the pull, kept my shoulders wide, etc. During the swimming I relied to heavily on my kick and would drop elbows, not finish, etc. As an adult I've learned a very good 2-beater and therefore concentrate on my pull while I swim instead of just depending on the kick.

This is my problem too. The only solution is to practice your kick. I am still working on mine. I am my team's weakest kicker, and strongest puller. This is an interesting comment. Made me think that there are Kickers Pullers Swimmers I've found that often, masters swimmers are often great pullers and weak on kick/ swim. However, with USS, I've seen great kickers/ swimmers; super pullers/ swimmers. The fabulous people are all 3. I HAVE seen terrible kickers who are great swimmers (they kick well when swimming)/ pullers. Strange. . .