How to Get Faster at Swimming Freestyle
Exercise your ankles., Balance your kick., Kick backwards., Kick with purpose.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Exercise your ankles.
By working your ankles out, you’ll build ankle strength and flexibility.
Increased strength and flexibility will help you start faster and turn quicker.
To accomplish this, commit to exercises like:
Skipping rope Standing on one leg Squats Ankle rockers.
Do this by sitting on the back of your ankles, leaning back, and lifting your knees upward.
Try to hold this for about a minute or two.
Do several repetitions.
Ankle rotations.
Simply rotate your ankles around in circles 15 to 20 times. -
Step 2: Balance your kick.
A balanced kick will help you move through the water in a much more consistent fashion.
To improve your kick, commit to a vertical kicking training routine.
To do this, stand in a moderately deep part of the pool and work on your swimming kick while standing up.
To further improve the balance of your kick:
Use a weight belt or drag sox.
Try kicking with swim fins., One of the biggest problems people have is that they kick downward rather than backward.
Instead of this, move your legs (as a whole) backwards
-- as if you are pushing back
-- instead of kicking downward.Think of your legs as one large fin moving back and forth in the water. , Concentrate and make sure that your kicks are deliberate.
Make sure you are focused on how your body and legs are moving together.
If you’re unfocused, you may kick, but you won’t kick with purpose and in an effective manner.
In the end, you may wind up zig-zagging or slowing yourself down. -
Step 3: Kick backwards.
-
Step 4: Kick with purpose.
Detailed Guide
By working your ankles out, you’ll build ankle strength and flexibility.
Increased strength and flexibility will help you start faster and turn quicker.
To accomplish this, commit to exercises like:
Skipping rope Standing on one leg Squats Ankle rockers.
Do this by sitting on the back of your ankles, leaning back, and lifting your knees upward.
Try to hold this for about a minute or two.
Do several repetitions.
Ankle rotations.
Simply rotate your ankles around in circles 15 to 20 times.
A balanced kick will help you move through the water in a much more consistent fashion.
To improve your kick, commit to a vertical kicking training routine.
To do this, stand in a moderately deep part of the pool and work on your swimming kick while standing up.
To further improve the balance of your kick:
Use a weight belt or drag sox.
Try kicking with swim fins., One of the biggest problems people have is that they kick downward rather than backward.
Instead of this, move your legs (as a whole) backwards
-- as if you are pushing back
-- instead of kicking downward.Think of your legs as one large fin moving back and forth in the water. , Concentrate and make sure that your kicks are deliberate.
Make sure you are focused on how your body and legs are moving together.
If you’re unfocused, you may kick, but you won’t kick with purpose and in an effective manner.
In the end, you may wind up zig-zagging or slowing yourself down.
About the Author
Brian Wright
Brian Wright specializes in education and learning and has been creating helpful content for over 5 years. Brian is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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