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Swimming Drills Library: Rotating, or Side-to-side Kick

Adam Hodges | June 20, 2012

poolFreestyle and backstroke are both “side to side” strokes in that the swimmer rotates along the spine of the body.  This kick also doubles as a type of drill insofar as it develops body roll along this axis.

The kick is done without a board; fins are encouraged.  Start off lying on one side with your bottom arm extended above your head and your top arm at your side.  Kick about six times; then take a stroke and rotate to the other side.  Repeat.

With this kick, you are effectively freezing your stroke—bottom arm in extended entry position, top arm in extended follow-through position—while you kick.  As you take a stroke to rotate to the other side, focus on gradually accelerating from the beginning to end of that stroke.  Finish with a nice snap of the hips as you roll the body.

When you are comfortable with the basic rotating kick; then add a sculling motion with your bottom arm (i.e. the arm extended in the entry position).  Scull by medially and laterally rotating the forearm.  Sculpt the water with your hand.  After six kicks, move from the sculling motion into your stroke to roll onto the other side.

Related:

Three Key Swimming Drills for Better Form A Swimmer’s Guide to Healthy Shoulders The Pre-Race Warmup for Running Events Running Drills VideosDrills for Proper Running Form Swimming Drills Library: Fashion Model Backstroke Kick

Filed Under: Training Tips Tagged With: Drills, Form, Swim, Swimming Drills

About Adam Hodges

Adam Hodges, PhD, is a multisport athlete and coach with credentials from USA Triathlon and the American College of Sports Medicine. In addition to coaching multisport athletes, he has coached high school cross country and track runners in California and masters swimmers in Colorado and California. As a USAT All-American triathlete, he has competed in the ITU World Triathlon Championships, the ITU World Duathlon Championships, and the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a masters runner, he has won a series title in the XTERRA SoCal Trail Series. His current pursuits include trail running, climbing, mountaineering, skimo, and cross-country skiing.

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