Squeezing the legs together turns on the front core and helps swimmers stay closer to the surface.
1. Tri Swim Coach Podcast #163 focuses on freestyle kicking for swimmers and triathletes who think they should save their legs for biking and running.
2. The episode is a solo cast from the Tri Swim Coach host, who says he has focused on breathing in a previous solo episode and now turns to kicking.
3. The core question is whether kicking should be avoided or trained as part of a hydrodynamic freestyle stroke.
4. The host says the old early-2000s idea of conserving the kick for the bike and run is less prevalent now.
5. He compares the flutter kick to arm swing while running and says arms hanging at your sides would make running worse.
6. He defines a flutter kick as feet, ankles, calves, and knees moving past each other with a down kick and an up kick.
7. He argues that for endurance swimming, legs should not go lower than the pelvis because that increases drag.
8. He says a sprint 50 or 100 can use a bigger kick for a short burst, but distance swimming should keep the kick smaller.
9. He uses a hands-in-water demonstration at the surface and then several inches below it to show how deeper water becomes harder to move through.
10. He says the kick’s job is vertical propulsion that keeps the swimmer high on the surface rather than pushing forward.
11. He warns that lower-back-driven kicking can create a banana shape, open the chest, and separate the legs.
12. He links that pattern to runners and cyclists who often have strong abductors from their land-based training.
13. He says adductors, not abductors, should dominate the kick and that squeezing the inner thighs helps turn on the front core.
14. He says that front-core activation helps dense-legged swimmers float better and stay more hydrodynamic.
15. He adds that a straight leg looks best on paper, but real swimmers with knees, hips, and injuries need a small amount of knee bend on the up kick.
16. He says the knee must not bend on the down kick and suggests roughly 90% to 95% extension instead of full lockout.
17. He explains that turning the feet inward from the ankles increases paddle area and helps keep the ankle loose and floppy.
18. He recommends drills such as slow-arm 25s with decreasing kicks, side kicking, kickboard work for beginners, and snorkel work for swimmers on their stomachs.
19. People training for triathlon fitness and endurance swimming will get the most from this episode.
20. Swimmers who want storytelling, guests, or race recap content may skip it.
