11/16/2023 0 Comments Flutter kicks for swimmingYou can tell that the ankle is relaxed to facilitate this flicking motion. You will also see that the instep of the foot flicks down the water, creating that lift. You will see that even the slightest kick movement is effective and it creates that necessary lift to keep your legs high in the water. Sometimes it looks like they are not using the kick at all! But if you would look closely and in slow motion, you’ll find out that the opposite is true. You may see top swimmers glide through the water at an easy pace with seemingly very little kick movement. Even the slightest kick movement keeps your body in a straight line and your core engaged. The kick counters big upper body movements which prevents the body from ‘snaking’ through the water. A well timed kick keeps your stroke balanced and streamlined. If you think a wetsuit will provide the necessary lift? Here’s another reason why you should know how to kick. To be able to keep your feet up high without losing energy is perhaps the biggest gain of training your kick. The math is pretty simple yet impressive, especially over a longer distance. The higher the legs, the less drag, the faster (or easier) you will swim. The main reason is that a flutter kick creates lift for the legs so your legs will stay high positioned in the water. But for most swimmers and triathletes this should not be the main reason to train your kick and master the technique. The kick engages the whole body to deliver more power and therefor speed to your stroke. Being able to power up your kick makes it easier to speed up your swimming in general. Yes, a strong kick comes in handy when you need to speed up to pass another swimmer in the pool or in an open water race. Unless you are a top sprinter in competitive swimming, speed is not the most important function of your kick. So why is it important to train your kick on a regular basis if it adds so little to your swimming speed, especially when you’re an endurance swimmer or triathlete? Here’s the answer to that question. That is if your kick is efficient and well trained. In freestyle, the (flutter)kick can add up to 10% to your speed when you’re swimming at a hard pace.
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