Kicking in the water might look easy, but after years of teaching, I’ve seen firsthand how often swimmers struggle with it. What seems like a basic movement can quickly lead to mistakes that slow you down—stiff legs, poor angles, or a lack of rhythm. And it’s not just beginners and children— even experienced swimmers often make flutter kicking mistakes. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll break down the most common kicking errors I’ve seen and share simple, effective tips to fix them. With the right approach, you’ll be kicking like a pro in no time.
A frequent mistake in flutter kicks is using the knees instead of the feet. This approach leads to wasted energy and weak propulsion. To enhance your flutter kick, concentrate on keeping your legs straight and using your entire leg for power. When you start your kicks from the hips instead of the knees, you use bigger muscle groups. This means you get more power while using less energy. Think of your legs as long levers. By using the whole length of your legs to push against the water, you create a stronger kick.
To practice this, try the following drill: hold a kickboard close to your chest while lying on your back. Focus on how your feet break the surface of the water, ensuring your knees stay submerged the entire time. Keep practicing until the kicking motion feels effortless and instinctive. Lastly, perform the same exercise while lying on your stomach.
A common mistake among swimmers is kicking with stiff feet, which leads to weak propulsion. Flexible feet enable a broader range of motion and bigger surface area, which generates stronger downward thrust with each kick. This motion not only enhances the overall propulsion but also reduces drag, allowing swimmers to glide more effortlessly through the water.
It’s important to guide your students to engage the entire surface of their feet. Tell them to keep their toes pointed and relaxed during the kicking motion.
The best drill to fix the stiff feet is to use the fins. Fins force the feet to remain flexible and pointed during the kicking motion. With time and practice, fins will help swimmers to develop the correct muscle memory and feel for the proper kicking technique.
A wide flutter kick disrupts the water flow around your body, creating turbulence that hinders your speed and efficiency in swimming. In addition, wide kicks disrupt the streamlined body position, making it harder for swimmers to maintain their speed.
Teachers should emphasize a narrow and compact kick, keeping swimmers feet close together. Tell your students that their leg kicks are like an engine that propels them forward. The best drill to fix wide flutter kick is vertical kicking with hands above water surface. This forces swimmers to keep their kicks narrow and compact, as wide kicks will cause them to sink.
Swimmers often face challenges with uneven kicks, where one leg works harder than the other. This imbalance can lead to unequal movement through the water and make it difficult for swimmers to stay on track. It's a frequent problem, particularly for beginners, who might not notice their body movements while trying to learn several new skills at once.
To correct this mistake, swimmers should focus on maintaining a symmetrical and balanced kick with equal effort from both legs. Teachers can use drills such as single-leg kicking with a kickboard to help swimmers pay close attention to each leg's movement. By isolating one leg at a time, swimmers can better feel and understand the uneven movements that may exist. This practice allows them to recognize how their weaker leg performs compared to the stronger one. Consequently, it enhances their awareness of the kicking technique, enabling them to adjust and balance their motion for a more effective swimming experience.
Flutter kicks should be done mostly below the water surface, with a minimum splash. Kicking too high causes your feet to lose contact with the water, wasting energy and slowing you down. By keeping your kicks lower and more controlled, you use your energy more effectively, helping you move forward with ease.
To help swimmers find the right balance between kicking too high and too low, teachers can have swimmers focus on keeping their toes close to the water's surface during their kicks. This will help them generate the most propulsion from their kick without wasting energy. An effective exercise to reinforce this technique is for students to lie on their stomachs, holding onto the side of the pool. The instructor will then place a kickboard above their legs at the appropriate height where their legs should ideally rise, instructing them to kick without touching the kickboard.
Beginners often kick too low in the water because they get tense, which makes their legs stiff and causes them to sink. This stiffness leads to wasting energy trying to lift the legs instead of moving forward effectively. When swimmers relax their legs, they float better and create more powerful kicks.
A simple fix for this issue is to place a pool noodle under the swimmer's stomach. This helps keep the body more horizontal. With this support, swimmers can relax their legs and improve their kicking technique.
By using fins
By kicking above water
By kicking on dryland
Pointing the toes
Spreading the legs too wide
Kicking from the knees
Please note that the information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only. While we strive to offer accurate and reliable content, always consult with a certified swim instructor or healthcare professional for personalized advice and guidance.
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