Do you kick above water when doing the front crawl?

Question

I once learnt that you have to kick just on the surface of water, so I do that. Currently, I swim with 1 kick per arm stroke. However, I'm not too sure if that's too "splashy". or is it right to splash some water with every kick?

Answer 1

If you are splashing, that means you are kicking air instead of water. Air provides less resistance than water, so it is easier to do, but kicking air provides no propulsion. Therefore, concentrate on letting your heel break the surface -- but no more.

You are currently doing a "2-beat kick" (2 kicks per 2 arm pulls). You can try switching to a "6-beat kick" -- but that takes some work. (Count like a waltz: 123 - 123 per arm stroke.) You are less likely to splash too much with a 6-beat kick because your legs must make shorter, snappier movements in order to keep the rhythm.

Answer 2

Your kick is supposed to be just below the surface of the water, to make your kick more efficient. when you swim you want the least amount of splash possible, to prevent fatigue and to help you go faster.

Answer 3

The reason it feels splashy is that you need to kick much more. You should be kicking at LEAST 6 kicks per 2 strokes. (2 strokes is one arm cycle). I kick 8 or 10...