Kicking/Lower Body Balance and Side Swimming Drills

Stomach Kick: Kick on your stomach, head first, arms are at your side. Try to achieve horizontal body position by using buoyancy to bring legs up.

Head: Neutral to down. Experiment with head position to bring feet to surface.

Arms: Both arms held loosely at your sides.

Legs: Toes pointed, ankles relaxed. 3Boil the water on the surface, no big splashes. Small kick.

Breath: Roll head easily to side. This is the hard part. It helps to exhale slowly and smoothly while your head is underwater.

Remarks: Imagine that you have a float in your chest. Push down on this float to bring your feet up. Use this downhill swimming technique and head position to bring feet up, NOT a harder kick. Buoyancy vs Power.

Right Side Kick (RSK): Kick on your right side, with right shoulder pointed to the sky.

Head: Relaxed, underwater, look at the side of the pool. Advanced it to look at the bottom, but be sure to maintain vertical shoulders when on your side: shoulders perpendicular to bottom of the pool.

Arms: Left arm extended, right hand rests on left thigh.

Legs: Toes pointed, ankles relaxed. Keep width of kick within "tube" created by your body: relatively narrow.

Breath: Take a small sculling motion with right hand and roll head easily to breathe. Exhale slowly and smoothly.

Remarks: Keep shoulders perpendicular to pool bottom. "Point belly to the side of the pool." Relatively narrow kick. Smooth breath by rolling your head up to the sky.

Left Side Kick (LSK): Kick on your left side, with left shoulder pointed to the sky.

Head: Relaxed, underwater, look at the side of the pool. Advanced is to look at the bottom, but be sure to maintain vertical shoulders when on your side: shoulders perpendicular to bottom of the pool.

Arms: Right arm extended, left hand rests on right thigh.

Legs: Toes pointed, ankles relaxed. Keep width of kick within "tube" created by your body: relatively narrow.

Breath: Take a small sculling motion with left hand and roll head easily to breathe. Exhale slowly and smoothly.

Remarks: Keep shoulders perpendicular to pool bottom: "Point belly to the side of the pool." Relatively narrow kick. Smooth breath by rolling your head up to the sky.

Single Switch (S-Switch): 1 arm pull to move from right to left side. Start with Right Side Kick. 6 kicks, then pull and roll over to Left Side Kick. 6 kicks left side, roll, repeat.

Head: Relaxed, underwater, look at the side of the pool. Advanced is to look at the bottom, but be sure to maintain vertical shoulders when on your side: shoulders perpendicular to bottom of the pool.

Arms: Left arm extended, right hand rests on left thigh. Pull with left arm to initiate roll, right arm return over the water to Left Side Kick position.

Legs: Toes pointed, ankles relaxed. Keep width of kick within "tube" created by your body: relatively narrow.

Breath: Breathe when you pull and roll to alternate side. Exhale slowly and smoothly.

Remarks: Keep shoulders perpendicular to pool bottom. Relatively narrow kick. Smooth roll from right to left and back again. Roll from the hips, as well from the shoulders. Think "Point belly to the side of the pool."

Triple Switch (T-Switch): 3 arm pulls to move from right side to left side. Start with Right Side Kick. 6 kicks, then pull three arms strokes, ending up on your left side. Kick 6 kicks on your left side, then take 3 arm pulls to rotate over to your right side. Repeat.

Head: Relaxed, underwater, look at the side of the pool. Advanced is to look at the bottom, but be sure to maintain vertical shoulders when on your side: shoulders perpendicular to bottom of the pool.

Arms: Left arm extended, right hand rests on left thigh. Pull with left arm to initiate roll, right arm return over the water to Left Side Kick position.

Legs: Toes pointed, ankles relaxed. Keep width of kick within "tube" created by your body: relatively narrow.

Breath: Breathe when you pull and roll to alternate side. Exhale slowly and smoothly.

Remarks: Keep shoulders perpendicular to pool bottom. Relatively narrow kick. Smooth roll from right to left and back again. Roll from the hips too. Think "Point belly to the side of the pool." Focus on transferring "Side Kick" skill to "Side Swimming" skill.