Long Levers Focus

Short levers are OK for some sprinters, but never OK for distance swimmers.

Dry Swimming Practice

Practice using a two-beat kick to drive your core rotation - on land. Just a few minutes a day for a week should do the trick. Do this exercise in stocking feet on a smooth floor in front of a mirror.

Stand relaxed with arms at sides, heels close together (not touching), and toes turned out slightly.
Now assume swimming posture: belly in, neck tall, chin back, eyes straight ahead.
Lean forward slightly onto the balls of your feet, creating a solid plank from head to toes. Your body is now shaped and connected like the hull of a sleek boat.
Looking straight ahead, rotate your torso (hips to shoulders) as unit to one side, and then to the other.
- Do not let go of the head-to-toe tension.
- Do not let your shoulders and hips rotate out of sync.
- Do not bend your knees.
When the motion becomes comfortable, focus on snapping from side to side (not rolling), about once per second.

Technique Focus Points

Head-to-toes plank. Hold your hull (aslo known as your tight aquatic line) together.
Hip drive. Feel your hips driving the stroke. (Imagine you are cross country skiiing or roller blading.)
Snap the hips. Minimize the amount of time you spend on your belly.

What to Watch For

Relaxed belly. Your hull has become squishy, you are slowing down.
Arm drive. You are yanking your boat through the water with your spindly arms.
Rolling. You are twisting your body from one side to the other.

Long Levers Focus Workouts

More Information

Video Clips - Kicking
Dancin' With Yourself - An article on kicking by Coach Emmett Hines. This is the best description I have seen on how to do the two-beat kick the right way.
Bottom Up Swimming. A set of three articles by Coach Emmett Hines on how to develop a proper six-beat kick and connect it up to a full-body stroke. For some, it is easier to learn the "right" timing for the six-beat kick before learning the two-beat kick.

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