Most triathletes tend to get caught up in how fast they are going.

“My 400 time is too slow!”
“My base interval is too much!”
“I’m the slowest in my group! Old ladies are passing me up!”

Being obsessed with any of the above can lead to discouragement in swimming. Also, these are the wrong things to be focused on if you really want to progress quickly in the water.

So what should you concentrate on to get faster if not getting faster itself?

It’s the small things that count. Think more in terms of drills and stroke technique, especially if you are not from a swimming background:

1. How balanced are you in the water? Simply logging pool time and practicing the kicking drills will lead to noticeable improvements within just a few sessions.

2. Is your kick moving you forward or are your feet acting like anchors? To test this, do some kicking on your back. If you are not moving forward, it’s time to start stretching out your ankles and drilling with Zoomers!

3. How many strokes does it take you to get from one side of the pool to the other? This is a little more advanced, but it’s a good gauge of your progress. Look for small improvements here. If your range is typically 25-27 strokes per length, shoot for 23-25 as an average. Notice how you are achieving a lower stroke count, by extending, gliding, and rotating your hips.

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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!

Notes from show:

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Music: The Crystal Method, “The Bones Theme”

Transcript: http://triswimcoachonline.com/tri/transcripts-tsc02-kicking-in-freestyle/