KICK-SWIM FOR TRIATHLETES
Do triathletes need to have good kick?
This is frequently debated topic when it comes to triathlon swim performance and the approach to swim training…
If you have a strong kick, great – it can be a great tool depending on your race goals. If not, don’t worry too much.
What we can do is reframe the role of the kick for triathletes and the context of racing in a triathlon.
A good kick can:
– improve posture
– improve body awareness
– improve balance
– improve body position
All of these things can and will make you a better swimmer and therefore a better triathlete, and like with most skill acquisition, simplicity and repetition are highly effective.
One way we like to work on kick, without working on kick, is to add some kick-swim with a snorkel to the end of swim sessions. It may be just 4 x 50m or 200m straight through. Do it session by session, week on week and you will improve… give it a go.
There’s nothing to lose! Better still, it works on how to integrate the kick into your actual swim stroke rather than being an isolated ‘drill’ only!