Contents
Introduction Why is it important to move your legs when swimming? The importance of the legs in every stroke The role of the legs in body position What should a good kick look like? Use fins to help you How to start controlling your kick Patience and practiceWhen we think about swimming, many people believe the main work is done by the arms. And while it is true that the arm stroke generates most of the propulsion, the movement of the legs plays a fundamental role in swimming efficiently. The legs not only help you move forward, but they also directly influence body position, stability and the fluidity of your stroke.
Why is it important to move your legs when swimming?
To move through the water correctly, your body needs to stay as horizontal and aligned as possible. If your legs sink or remain passive, water resistance increases and the swimmer has to work much harder with the arms.
For this reason, the kick has two main functions:
- It stabilises the body
- It helps with propulsion
Although many people think the legs are responsible for pushing us forward, they actually generate only about 20% to 25% of total propulsion. Most of the forward movement comes from the arms.
However, without a good kick, your overall technique is affected.
The importance of the legs in all swimming strokes
Although freestyle is usually the most practised stroke, leg work is important in every swimming stroke.
In each stroke, the legs have a specific function:
-
Freestyle
The flutter kick helps maintain body balance, stabilises the body and contributes slightly to propulsion. -
Backstroke
The kick is very similar to freestyle and plays a key role in keeping the body in a high, horizontal position. -
Breaststroke
In this stroke, the legs play a much bigger role. The breaststroke kick generates a large part of the swimmer's propulsion. -
Butterfly
Here the legs work together with the famous dolphin movement. This motion starts from the core and is transmitted down into the legs.
Therefore, leg work is essential for any swimmer, regardless of the stroke they practise.
The role of the legs in body position
A good kick helps keep the body hydrodynamic, meaning aligned and with as little water resistance as possible.
When the legs move correctly:
- The body stays more horizontal
- Buoyancy improves
- Water resistance decreases
- Body alignment improves
- The stroke becomes smoother and more efficient
If the legs remain passive or poorly positioned, they can become a drag, slowing your progress and increasing fatigue during training.
What should a good kick look like?
Leg movement in swimming starts mainly at the hip, not the knees.
A very common mistake among beginner swimmers is bending the knees too much, as if they were pedalling a bike, which creates a lot of resistance in the water.
To improve your technique, it is important to keep some key points in mind:
1. Keep your feet relaxed and pointed
Your ankles should be extended and your feet relaxed, as we often tend to flex them slightly. This will help increase the surface area you push with.
2. The movement starts at the hip
The kick should begin at the hip and travel down to the thigh, the knee and finally the foot.
3. Avoid lifting your feet too far out of the water
Excessive splashing usually indicates that your kick is too high or out of control.
4. Keep a continuous kick
A steady rhythm helps maintain body stability throughout the whole arm stroke cycle. At first, it can be difficult to concentrate on moving your feet while swimming, especially if you are not used to it, so you can start gradually, even if it slows your speed down at first.
Use fins to help improve your kick
Swim fins are a very useful tool for improving leg movement.
Using them allows you to:
- Increase the feeling of propulsion
- Learn the kick rhythm more effectively
- Improve body position
- Strengthen your legs
- Develop greater ankle flexibility
In addition, fins help beginner swimmers feel what a correct kick should be like, as they amplify the movement.
That said, it is important to use them as a learning tool, not as a substitute for technical work without equipment.
How to start controlling your kick
Learning to move your legs correctly in the water takes practice and attention to technique. Some tips to start improving it are:
-
1. Practise leg-only exercises
Use a kickboard to focus exclusively on leg movement. -
2. Train your kick in every session
Dedicating between 10% and 20% of your training to leg exercises can make a big difference. -
3. Focus on technique
It is better to swim fewer metres with good technical execution than long distances with poor posture. -
4. Use different equipment
kickboard
fins
front snorkel
side kick -
5. Seek feedback
If possible, ask a coach or training partner to watch you or use underwater recordings. Seeing your technique can help you spot mistakes quickly.
Patience and practice: the key to improving
At first, working on your kick can be very tiring, especially if you are not used to it. However, with time and practice, your body adapts and the movement becomes more natural.
Swimming is a sport in which the whole body works in coordination, and the legs are a fundamental part of maintaining balance, stability and efficiency in your stroke.
In short, yes, it is well worth working on and moving your legs when you swim. A good kick not only improves your speed, but also makes swimming much smoother and less tiring.
