Courtesy of Gary Hall Sr., 10-time World Record Holder, 3-time Olympian, 1976 Olympic Games US Flagbearer and The Race Club co-founder.
Practice makes perfect. You cannot develop a fast freestyle or dolphin kick without a lot of hard work. But the rewards are great. Here are five of my best tips for developing a stronger, faster kicking speed.
- Increase Plantar Flexibility of the ankle
This simply means that the ankles must be loose and the toes need to be able to point a long way down. Great plantar flexibility is a prerequisite (must have) for fast free and dolphin kicking, but it alone does not guarantee a fast kick. The good news is that the ligaments in the ankle controlling this motion are fairly small and subject to quick change. Dryland exercises are the best way to improve this motion. We recommend sitting on the tops of the feet with the knees in the air for extended periods to stretch these ligaments. One can also do ankle pushups yoga style to stretch the ankle. I have also found by placing the feet under a low lying couch and straightening the legs while leaning back will put a great stretch on the ankle.
- Increase the strength of your kicking muscles
Some of this strengthening will take place in the pool but much needs to be done in the weight room. The quadriceps and hip flexors for the down kick can be strengthened by doing leg extensions from about 45 degrees knee flexion to horizontal. The hamstrings, lower back and gastrocnemius muscles used for the up kick can be strengthened by doing straight leg lifts in the prone position. We recommend 30 to 50 reps for each or to reach exhaustion repeated three times.
- Practice lots of kicking
Think about it. If you average a stroke rate of 100 in the 100 freestyle, with a six beat kick, your leg stroke rate is 600 kicks per minute. Considering that you get no recovery time with your legs, that is a lot of demand you are putting on them. It is no wonder that the legs are usually the first part of your body to give out during the race. The legs need to be very fit.
At The Race Club, we recommend that you try to do some hard kicking sets in each practice and that at least once per week, dedicate the entire practice session to kicking. Be creative with kick sets but do lots of kicking.
- Kick with alignment board and snorkel
While you may be able to kick faster with a conventional kick board by using the board to buoy your body up, you will never swim a race with your body in that same position. We think that by using the small Finis alignment board with your favorite monosnorkel, keeping the head down and in alignment with your body, you will simulate a more natural swimming position for your kick sets. It will also help you improve your streamline.
- Use an elastic band below the knee to develop a tighter kick
Over bending the knee is a common problem in freestyle and dolphin kicking. Under bending the knee is not. An elastic band placed below the knee will help keep the knee from over bending in freestyle kick. It may also slow the kicking speed, but it will make the swimmer become more aware of the need to depend on ankle flexibility to increase kicking speed, rather than on knee bend.
In summary, do not underestimate the power of the kick to help you with your swimming speed. To develop a strong kick requires a sustained program incorporating drills, tough kicking sets and dryland exercises. If you need assistance, let us help you set up the kicking program. Stay the course and you will see great improvement in both kicking and swimming speed.
Yours in swimming,
Gary Sr.
Read Part I: Increase the Speed of Your Freestyle and Dolphin Kick
Read Part II: Kick Faster in Freestyle and Dolphin Kick
Read Part III: Two Things a Fast Kicker Does
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Gary Hall, Sr., Technical Director and Head Coach of The Race Club (courtesy of TRC)
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THE RACE CLUB
Because Life is Worth Swimming, our mission is to promote swimming through sport, lifelong enjoyment, and good health benefits. Our objective is for each member of and each participant in The Race Club to improve his or her swimming performances, health, and self-esteem through our educational programs, services and creativity. We strive to help each member of The Race Club overcome challenges and reach his or her individual life goals.
The Race Club, logo The Race Club provides facilities, coaching, training, technical instruction, video, fitness and health programs for swimmers of all ages and abilities. Race Club swim camps are designed and tailored to satisfy each swimmer’s needs, whether one is trying to reach the Olympic Games or simply improve one’s fitness. Our programs are suitable for beginner swimmers, pleasure swimmers, fitness swimmers, USA swimming or YMCA swimmers, or triathletes; anyone who wants to improve swimming skills. All of our Race Club members share an enjoyment of being in the water and use swimming to stimulate a more active mind and body.
I am a 83 yrear old female, overweight but in the top 10 in U S… kicking is tough for me.. I swim backstroke the most and use kicking to keep me straight when turning my body as I swim…any words of wisdom for me?
Hi Barbara, You are never too old to improve your kick and strengthen your legs for the kicking motion. I like to think of your kick speed as your baseline speed for free and back….before you add your pulling and coupling motions. Kick faster and you will swim faster!
BTW….we have had clients well into their 80’s come to us and we are proud to make them all faster!