Swimming - Flutter kick question?

Question

For some reason if I flutter kick for too long like when swimming freestyle my legs get tired after about the first lap or 2...

I think I might be kicking wrong since I heard some people got the same problem.

What I'm doing usually is trying to keep my toes pointed and kinda kick from the hips and not knees as often..it's what I've been toght so yeah

Answer 1

Most people get fatigued in the flutter kick. However, the better swimmers fatigue at a slower rate.

There are many drills and techniques you can use to strengthen your kick. The following are a few suggestions:

1.) Kicking with a kick board. It might be more effective to mix things up like alternate effort on each length i.e. fast on even slow on odd, etc

2.) Kicking without a kick board

    a) on your side with lower arm outstretched

    b) on your back with fingers interlaced and elbows locked, arms straight above your head

    c) on your back with arms at your side

3.) Kicking with flippers/fins

4.) Swimming and/or kicking with zoomers (fins with the ends cut off)

5.) kicking with fins in a vertical position (do this with the flutter kick with and without your hands in the water in timed intervals - try to work your way up to a minute keeping your head out of the water.

6.) Kicking without a board, on your stomach, arms forward and straight with locked fingers, and your head 'out of the water' . This is very difficult but will increase your 'flutter kick' stamina

These are just a few examples to strengthen your kick.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 2

You sound like you flutter kick right.. my advise to you is to make you legs stronger, it might just be that you are kicking too hard, in a race you will want to kick at pace for anything 200 and over, don't waste you energy on the first laps!!

Answer 3

You're doing it right, there's not much to it, you just need to train harder and build some stronger muscles.

Answer 4

Have your coach look at your kicking technique and give you some feedback.  The best way to strengthen your legs for this is to do kick laps - get yourself a kickboard and go go go.  You could also try doing them with flippers on so it's not quite as tiring & boring.  You'd have to do a lot more laps, though.

Answer 5

it sounds like you need to strengthen your legs because your technique sounds ok. if your still unsure try watching some videos of olympic swimmers and compare yourself. You need to do more front crawl kick just get a board and do a few lengths as fast as you can and time yourself then try and beat it next time i guarantee it will work