The flutter kick is one of the most fundamental parts of the freestyle and backstroke. It can be the thing to take your swim from good to great. The kick is done with alternating back and forth movements from the legs. This video shows the kick slowed down
Top 5 Flutter Kick Mistakes
These are the most common flutter kick mistakes I have seen in my years of teaching and swimming. Some of these mistakes will slow you down, others will completely stop your movement all together, making you feel like you’re tied down!
- Kicking from the knees
This is the easiest mistake to make, bending your knee and kicking it down like you’re striking a hammer. This will propel you forward a little, but it uses a lot of energy for very little reward. Instead, think about kicking from your hips. Your quads and glutes are some of the biggest muscles in the body, and because of that they tire less quickly. If you are just starting out, it might be helpful to kick with completely straight legs (like how Barbie might swim). This helps you develop that feeling of kicking with the whole leg.
2. Having flexed feet
Having flexed feet will make it feel like you are swimming with ten pounds of weight on your feet. This is because you kind of are. Having feet flexed with toes spread apart drags them through the water, like a parachute. Instead, point your toes (again, like Barbie, who is probably an excellent swimmer). Once that becomes natural, think about keeping your ankles loose. Flexible ankles makes for a fast kick.
3. Not thinking about the rest of your body
A fast kick can only take you so far. If your head is too far up, or your body isn’t flat, then your kick will spend more energy keeping your feet up rather than pushing you forward. Practicing with a kickboard is great, but consider doing a few laps kicking with no board, focusing on keeping your head down and body in line.
4. Not kicking both directions
Many people will do great at their down kick, and then let their legs float back up. Remember, your muscles go both directions! Practice kicking not just on your stomach, but on your back and sides too! This will help with your power, speed, breathing, and balance.
5. Kick is too slow/too fast
Beginner swimmers will tend to kick too fast, trying desperately to keep their feet up. Usually they do not need an extra kick, and would be able to swim much farther if they slowed it down. Some advanced swimmers won’t kick at all, relying fully on upper body strength to power through.
Different kick rates work better for different people. If you are Katie Ledecky and have an efficient kick, maybe you only need a 2 beat kick (2 kicks every full stroke cycle). However, most beginner and intermediate swimmers will do best with a 4-6 beat kick. Finding the best kick rate takes much experimentation, so play around with it! Find the balance between fast kick and efficient kick.
Swim Set for kick strength
Warm up: 4×100 yds, 50 kick w/ board, 50 swim (easy, focusing on efficiency)
8x25s side kick (kicking on side with bottom arm extended, right arm down left arm back)
8x25s overkick (slow arms, fast kicks)
4x50s overkick build (fast kicks, arms start slow and get faster with each stroke, each 50 ends as a sprint)
16x25s spitfires: 30 seconds hard kick against the wall, then 25 sprint. 15 seconds rest between each. Your legs should burn after this!
Cool Down: 200 3 Strokes, 12 kicks (three strokes freestyle then 12 kicks on side, repeat repeat repeat. This should be slow and easy, really letting you focus on the quality of your kick)
