Developing a Kick for your Triathlon Swim
A confusing issue for many triathlon swimmers is how often to kick in the swim?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.
Many coaches and swimmers want to focus on a “beat” kick. You will hear “develop a 3-beat kick” around swimming circles. This may work well for some people. But let’s look at some points:
1. How many kicks per stroke you take should not be one of your priorities when developing your freestyle for a triathlon swim. This isn’t to say it is of no importance, but there are many aspects to swimming that are of far higher importance, especially if you are a beginner.
2. It is more important to find a kick that is comfortable for you than one that is the “standard”. Kicking is primarily for hip rotation and balance rather than propulsion. To have a powerful kick in triathlon or distance swim is not near as advantageous as it would be in a sprint.
3. Start with 6 Kicks per Stroke drill and come down from there. Do a 50 kicking 6 times for every stroke. Repeat and do 5 kicks for each stroke on the next 50. Drop down the kicks until you feel comfortable.
Don’t get overly obsessed with your number of kicks! This is a minor issue in the grand scheme of swimming technique. As technical as freestyle can get, if you haven’t perfect your stroke in balance and efficiency otherwise, I suggest putting kicks per stroke on the back burner!
Good answer. Since most triathletes would rather have their legs just float behind them to be saved for the bike and run, developing a kick that just keeps the body in balance and allowing for proper rotation is probably enough.
However, swimming in a wet suit during a race is much different than training in a legless suit while your legs drag. The triathlete does not want to get in the habit of dragging their legs during training, because this body position will create bad habits like limiting rotation, shortening your distance per stroke and introducing a fishtail action to your hips. I think it is critical to learn to train with a tight stomach, long axis, good rotation and enough kick to stay balanced head to toe.
Good post triswimcoach.
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