In breaststroke, most of our propulsion comes from the kick.  

If the way to maximize your pull is to reach full extension, the way to maximize your kick is to finish each kick.

When you focus on finishing each kick, you guarantee that your feet do not create added drag to slow you down.  Watch Dave’s legs stay together and follow right behind his body once they’ve finished each kick.

Another advantage is that your legs are in a better position to recover when you’re ready to set up the next kick.  Dave completes his kick, then his legs are drawn up in a more narrow position to initiate the next kick.

If you finish each kick, you’ll also make sure you get maximum time and maximum range to execute the most powerful kick possible.  Think of completing the kick, then seeing how streamlined you can make your body, from fingertips to toes.  Then see how far you travel on each stroke…and how  much more effective each kick can be.

**Common Errors**
So many swimmers ignore the end of the kick, causing the feet to flop around, creating resistance, losing power, and making it more likely to cause disqualification by creating a dolphin or flutter kick.

As Dave speeds up, notice how he virtually SLAMS his feet together and squeezes all the water from between his legs.

As we slow this down a bit, it’s easy to see how perfect and precisely he finishes each kick.  DON’T let your legs drift together.  Finish each kick with authority.

Don’t forget your toes!  Keep them pointed from the instant your feet slam together…until the instant they break apart to get ready for the next kick.  Even as you start to swim faster, keep your feet in the most streamlined position possible until it’s time for the next kick.

A good way to practice this is by doing underwater breaststroke kick.  Get your body into a streamlined position, and kick breaststroke nice and deep in the pool.

Make sure you’re not recovering your legs too wide, and watch the torpedo-like shape your entire body gets in when you finish your kick completely.

Stay close to the bottom.  This way, you’ll make sure you don’t bring your knees up too high, and it will be easy for you to watch the tiles.  If you see the tiles clearly, it means you’ve stopped, and that you’ve lost your streamline…or brought your knees up too high, or too far apart.  Try to keep the tiles blurry as you fly past them.  

Remember: finish each kick.  Squeeze all the water from between your legs.


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Finish Your Kick - Dave