Why You Need to STOP Kicking While Swimming

If your legs are going at 100% at all times and you're not swimming a sprint race, you're probably kicking too much! 😬⁠ #shorts #swimming

[sleepysayu]

As a competitive swimmer this is the complete opposite of what my coach tells me what to do.

[shaynaadler]

my coach would have a heart attack watching this

[nicmatteau]

Btw peeps, this is very true for certain events like 1500, 800 and maybe 400 but anything shorter you listen to your coach and kick faster damnit!!

[ritubanerjee]

Me: Kicking less
My coach: Do you want a pillow?

[arkesh]

This is literally the opposite problem that me and everyone on our team had, everyone had arm driven strokes, which is worse than a leg driven stroke

[mr.midlifecrisis]

Absolute life saver for distance swimmers

[hekmanstefan]

that's for distance swimming, not for sprinting

[arkering]

If you want to be a good competitive swimmer you still need to have a very good kick

[lelanaveriani]

And my coach: c'mon move your legs! Move, MOVE!!

[FrostyHandled]

biggest mistake i see in amateur swimmers (and even coaches) is literally only training kick. Kicking may look strong, after all, the legs are huge! However, their motion is not at all efficient in moving forward. For this reason, pulling is faster in a balanced freestyle. In events with more distance, pulling should be even more prominent as it is more oxygen-efficient.

[spoon]

do whatever your coach says to do, this is great for distance though

[bianke]

I am a beginner swimmer and I'm trying really hard not to kick so much but having a hard time. if I don't kick I feel like I'm sinking. does anyone have advice/drills to help me kick less?

[hyunjins_americano]

My coach: ”WHERES THAT WHITE WATER. FASTER FASTER”

[CeoOfTrsh]

my coach: no because the isn’t even that long

[ithirstyforknowledge]

Because we were taught to kick harder and make the water boil

[mr.m]

That's perfect for distance swimmers.

[ybislke]

wrong as a experienced swimmer for 5 years, yes kicking can make you tired but if you maintain a good pace of kick you can't get tired as faster arms, faster arms can make you swim slower so I recommend to do long strokes and maintain a pace for kicking that you are comfortable with.

[inlovewithgymchalk]

Omg im glad I saw this because I kick to much and my legs get tired when the real thing is to make me go faster is my arms I need to stretch it out farther to move that water out the way, my coach have told me this many times I just never understood

[jimshackelford]

Doing a lot of kicking in practice builds up your stamina and kick. Sure, in an 800 you don't kick as hard as you do in a 50 race. In a 50 it's all out -- kick and pull.

If you become an arm dependent swimmer, as I was, it does help with energy in longer events, but you never get powerful enough in the legs to win either long or short events.

[ramyg]

Once you propel yourself forward in swimming, it is like riding a bicycle, you don't need to wobble or maintain your balance as much as you were in slow speed...