Freestyle kick with a kickboard

Freestyle kick with a kickboard is a common exercise in swimming that helps improve leg strength and technique for the freestyle (front crawl) stroke. Here’s how to do it:

Start by selecting a suitable kickboard. Kickboards are typically made of buoyant materials like foam or plastic and are designed to help keep your upper body afloat while you focus on your leg kick.

Get into the water, holding the kickboard with your hands on the handles. Make sure the kickboard is positioned in front of you, and your arms are extended.

Begin your freestyle kick face above surfaceof the water with your body horizontal. Your legs should be fully extended and close together.

Initiate the kick by bending your knees slightly and flexing your ankles, creating a small amount of resistance in the water with the tops of your feet. Your legs should be relatively straight but not completely locked at the knees.

Perform a flutter kick, which involves alternating kicks with both legs. The kick should be fast and continuous, with your legs moving up and down in a small, rhythmic motion.

Keep your kick controlled and within your comfort zone, as overkicking can lead to fatigue and inefficiency. Focus on maintaining a steady and even tempo.

Use your core muscles to stabilize your body and maintain a horizontal position in the water. Your upper body should stay on the surface with the help of the kickboard.

Continue kicking for the desired distance or duration, practicing your freestyle kick technique. As you become more proficient, you can experiment with different kick rhythms, like a 6-beat kick, which involves six kicks for every arm stroke cycle in freestyle.

Freestyle kick with a kickboard is an excellent way to improve leg strength, endurance, and overall freestyle stroke efficiency. It’s often used as a training exercise by swimmers to isolate and focus on the leg movement aspect of the stroke.