The importance of your leg kick in open water swimming.

Training

These people are wrong!!

Here’s why…..

The leg kick in front crawl is like a ship’s rudder. The legs control the timing of your stroke. If you don’t use your legs with equal rotation, then your hips will sink, and your body will end up being in the wrong position in the water. This will then create resistance and therefore make you work harder.

NOTE: YOU SHOULD BE DOING AT LEAST 250M to 500M OF KICK EVERY SESSION

Here are some helpful sets to get those legs working and make you a faster swimmer!

Kick sets:

10 X 25M with float – head up & head still – focus on hip rock & roll, shoulder rock & roll – kick from quads – flick ankles & toes – heals & toes breaking water surface. +20/30 rest
10 x 25M with right or left arm holding float – side lateral kick – with snorkel or without – same coaching points as above but use scissor kick +20/30 rest
10 x 20 secs in deep water – vertical kick with fins / without fins +20 / 30 rest
10 x 25M streamlined kick on back – arms in a streamlined position – same coaching points as above but only toes break water surface – with or without fins – pretend your kicking your shoes off +20 / 30 secs rest

We hear people say all the time ‘When I do kick sets with a kick board, I don’t go anywhere!!!” – There will be simple fixes to help you.

Come and see the Heathwood Swimming coaching team in Cardiff, and we will give you the tools for your toolbox to help you with your kicking and help you with your swimming.

About The Author

Dave Tonge

Heathwood Swimming caters to all adults wishing to learn to swim, improve their technique, or be put through their paces in an endurance session. Our Endless Swimming Pool is great for Teaching and Coaching Adult non-swimmers, Beginners, open-water, Masters, or age-group swimmers. Pool & Open water Swimmer & Coach Owner of Heathwood Swimming & Triathlon MSc Physical Activity & Health RLSS Trainer Assessor Welsh Masters record holder. World Record Holder - longest wetsuit swim in an endless pool (24 hours) Finished in the top 20 at the Tenby LCW Swim 5 times from 2011-2016 (PB 48:18) Completed Long Course Weekend Tenby 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023 & 2024. 4 Times IRONMAN

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