Freestyle Kicking: Improving the Technique

Last Updated on March 29, 2024 by admin

In this article, we will provide advice, drills hacks and tips on improving the freestyle kicking technique.

Freestyle kicking is an important but sometimes undervalued key competitive swimming skill.

An effective leg kick raises the swimmer’s legs to a horizontal/prone position, thus reducing drag.
As the leg muscles are amongst the largest in the body, having a trained, effective leg kick minimises energy and oxygen consumption, whilst maximising propulsion.
This requires the freestyle kicking technique to be persistently and consistently practiced.

The key components for an effective freestyle kick are

A fast and shallow ‘flutter’ kick
- With the swimmer’s heel just breaking the surface.
Kicking from the hips and buttocks, using the largest muscles in the body to drive propulsion.
Eliminate knee bend, the most common fault while freestyle kicking.
- Kicking from the knees increases drag and uses the relatively smaller calf muscles.
Place the feet in a pointed (plantar flexion) position.
Ankles need to be flexible (floppy).
- A lack of flexibility in the ankles can significantly reduce effective propulsion.

Ankle flexibility

Introduction:

Good ankle flexibility enables the ankle to be placed in a more streamlined position, thus reducing drag.
Good ankle flexibility improves the ability to exert more force through the lower limbs.
Pointing toes slightly inwards can help relax the ankles and improve flexibility.
Ankle flexibility can be improved by swimming with short fins.

Ankle flexibility drills

Vertical freestyle kicking

Introduction:

Vertical freestyle kicking is a great drill for improving ankle flexibility.

How to perform this drill:

Swimmers need to be in water deep enough for them to vertically kick without touching the bottom of the pool.
They should adopt a vertical body position in the water.
While performing a slow and steady freestyle leg kick.
They fold their arms across their chest.
While keeping their chin level with the surface of the water.
Swimmers may wish to use fins while learning this drill.

Variations:

Swimmers can increase the intensity of the leg kick required, in three stages

Level 1: By raising their shoulders out of the water.
Level 2: By raising their hands and forearms out of the water.
Level 3: By raising their arms out of the water, in a streamlined position.

Lateral freestyle kicking – with a kickboard

Introduction:

Lateral kicking (kicking on their side) is another great ankle flexibility drill.

How to perform this drill:

Starting in the water, with a push and glide from the end of the pool, the swimmer is required to rotate their body on their right-hand side (laterally).
Ensure the swimmer holds a kickboard with a fully extended right arm, at the top edge while resting their right forearm on the kickboard.
The swimmer then starts to freestyle kick on their right-hand side (laterally)
Ensure the swimmer places their left arm by their side.
Ensure the swimmer performs a slow and steady leg kick to keep the body as lateral as possible.
Complete this drill for one length of the pool (25m)
After a short rest interval, the swimmer should repeat this drill, but this time laterally kicking on their left-hand side.

Ankle flexibility exercise

Introduction:

This is a great exercise for improving ankle flexibility.

How to perform this exercise:

This drill needs to be performed on the poolside.

Swimmers should find a safe space on the poolside/deck away from the pool’s edge.
They should sit upright on the pool-side floor, with their legs fully outstretched touching the floor, preferably sitting on a kickboard or a mat.
Ensure the swimmers have their legs together and their toes pointing away from them, trying to touch the floor with their toes (plantar flexion position)
They should hold this position for ten seconds.
Now ask the swimmer to flex their feet and point their toes towards their shin as far as they will go, again getting them to hold this (dorsiflexion) position for ten seconds.
Repeat this drill 10 times.
This drill should be a standard part of the swimmer’s land training programme.

Ankle rotations

Introduction:

This is a great and simple exercise for improving ankle flexibility, which should be incorporated into a poolside/deck warm-up routine.

How to perform this exercise:

From either a standing or sitting position.
The swimmer lifts their leg and rotates their right foot in a clockwise direction for 15 to 20 complete rotations.
Then the swimmer rotates their right foot in an anti-clockwise direction for 15 to 20 complete rotations.
The swimmer then repeats this exercise using their left foot.
Repeat this drill 10 times, 5 times for each foot.

Types of Kickboard

Kickboard – Hydrodynamic

A hydrodynamic kickboard is smaller and less buoyant than many traditional (tombstone) kickboards.

This helps to promote a flatter more streamlined body position.
Which can help to reduce drag.

The hydrodynamic design promotes a streamlined body position from fingertips to toes.
Can be submerged just below the waterline, creating an ideal body position and reducing shoulder stress.
Great for standard kicking, one-arm drills and side kicking in all four competitive strokes.
The stabilizing strap allows control of the board without gripping and places hands and arms in a properly streamlined position.

Kickboard – Traditional (Tombstone)

Kickboards are an essential piece of swimming equipment.

Freestyle kicking drills

Kicking with a kickboard

Introduction:

The classic kicking drill, kickboards have been in use for many years and are an essential part of any competitive swimmer’s kit.

The use of a kickboard is an excellent way of developing an effective leg kick by isolating the swimmer’s legs.

How to perform this drill:

From a push and glide from the end of the pool, the swimmer will start to kick in a horizontal/prone position, while keeping their head out of the water.
Ensure that the swimmer’s arms are extended fully, while they are holding a kickboard at the top edge and resting their forearms on the kickboard.
The swimmer will then perform a slow, steady and shallow freestyle leg kick.
Attention must be paid to kicking from the hips and buttocks and eliminating any knee bend.
Ensure the swimmer’s feet are in a pointed (plantar flexion) position.
Repeat this drill for one length of the pool (25m)

Kicking builds helps strengthen and develop the freestyle leg kick — **Kicking builds help to strengthen and develop the freestyle leg kick**

Freestyle kicking with a kickboard – builds

Introduction:

An introductory progression to speed play which helps strengthen and develop the freestyle leg kick.

How to perform this progression:

From a push and glide from the end of the pool, the swimmer will start to kick in a horizontal/prone position, while keeping their head out of the water.

The swimmer starts kicking at 50% of maximum and gradually the swimmer increases the speed of their kick over one length.
The swimmer should be around 75% of their maximum kicking speed at halfway and be close to reaching maximum leg kick speed as they approach the finish of the length.
Keep the progression to short distances, in sets of single lengths, with a 15 to 20-second rest interval between each length, as the emphasis of this progression is a great technique

Kicking with a kickboard – speed play

Introduction:

A further speed play kicking progression helps strengthen and develop the freestyle leg kick.

How to perform this progression:

From a push and glide from the end of the pool, the swimmer performs ten fast leg kicks, and then performs ten slow leg kicks (10/10), initially over 50m.
Once mastered this progression can be made more difficult by progressively reducing the number of fast and slow leg kicks. For example, seven fast leg kicks, then seven slow leg kicks (7/7)
Keep this progression to short distances, in sets of 2-4 lengths, as the emphasis of this drill is a great technique

Kicking with a kickboard – speed play on the whistle

Introduction:

Another speed play progression that further develops and maintains a strong freestyle leg kick.

How to perform this progression:

From a push and glide from the end of the pool, the swimmer starts by performing a slow and steady freestyle leg kick, with a kickboard.
The coach then blows a whistle which is the signal for the swimmer to perform a fast freestyle leg kick at sprint speed until the coach blows the whistle again and the swimmer then returns to a slow and steady kick.
Repeat these bouts of random fast and slow kicking, initially over 50m/100m.
Gradually increase the intensity of the set, by a combination of longer fast intervals, shorter rests or by slowly increasing the distance.

Holding the kickboard vertically adds increased resistance.

Resistance freestyle kicking with a kickboard

Introduction:

An excellent progression for further developing and maintaining a strong freestyle leg kick by adding additional resistance.

How to perform this progression:

The swimmer starts by performing a slow and steady freestyle leg kick, with a kickboard.
Instead of holding the kickboard flat at the top edge of the kickboard, the swimmer holds the kickboard vertically upright, so that half the kickboard is under the surface.
For increased resistance, the swimmer holds the kickboard horizontally upright, so again half the kickboard is under the surface.

Partner kicking with kickboards

Introduction:

Another excellent progression to further develop and maintain a strong freestyle leg kick, as well as add some fun and variety to a session.

How to perform this progression:

The swimmer picks a partner; this drill works better if the swimmers are of the same size and ability.

With both swimmers in the waterside by side, each holding a kickboard, the swimmer on the left places their left hand on their kickboard and places their right hand on their partner’s kickboard.
The swimmer on the right places their right hand on their kickboard and places their left hand on their partner’s kickboard, (see diagram below).
From a push & glide at the end of the pool, both swimmers freestyle kick for the length/lap of the pool.

Trio kicking further helps develop and maintain a strong freestyle leg kick

Trio kicking with kickboards

Introduction:

Another excellent kicking progression to further develop and maintain a strong freestyle leg kick, which also adds a bit of fun.

How to perform this progression:

Swimmers need to work in threes for this progression.

This progression works better if the swimmers are of the same size and ability.
With each swimmer in the waterside by side, each holding a kickboard, the swimmer on the left places their left hand on their kickboard and places their right hand on the swimmer in the middle’s kickboard.
The swimmer on the right places their right hand on their kickboard and places their left hand on the swimmer in the middle’s kickboard.
The swimmer in the middle places their left arm on the swimmer on the left’s kickboard and places their right arm on the swimmer on the right’s kickboard.
From a push & glide at the end of the pool, all three swimmers freestyle kick for the length/lap of the pool.

Woggles/noodles can be used as a group kicking device — Woggles/noodles can be used as a group-kicking device

Kicking with a woggle/noodle

Introduction:

Woggles/noodles can be used as a group kicking device and is another excellent kicking progression to further develop and maintain a strong freestyle leg kick, which also adds a bit of fun.

How to perform this progression:

From a push and glide from the end of the pool, three to four swimmers, each position themselves lengthways behind a woggle/noodle.
They hold the woggle/noodle lengthways with both hands.
Then proceed to group kick for a length/lap of the pool.

Underwater dolphin kicking

The underwater dolphin kick is a fast and powerful underwater technique. It has become an increasingly important swimming skill, playing a key part in the development of butterfly, backstroke and freestyle starts and turns.

Many coaches refer to underwater dolphin kicking as the ‘fifth stroke’.
Many of the world’s top swimmers regularly practice and develop their underwater dolphin kicking technique during training.
Underwater dolphin kicking should be a key part of every competitive swimming programme.

Related publication: FREESTYLE Competitive Swimming Drills

We have published a related publication: FREESTYLE Competitive Swimming Drills

This publication provides coaches, teachers and swimmers with over 90 tried and tested competitive freestyle drills and progressions.
For further details and ordering information please use the following link: FREESTYLE Competitive Swimming Drills

Related publication: Swimming Plus: FREESTYLE

Swimming Plus FREESTYLE is a publication designed for those swimmers who want to improve their freestyle swimming technique.

Swimming Plus FREESTYLE provides you with a series of structured and progressive session training plans, plus detailed drill descriptions and expert coaching tips.
With Swimming Plus FREESTYLE you can progress at your own pace when it’s convenient for you.

For further details and ordering information please use the following link: Swimming Plus: Freestyle