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    “It was the most impactful money I've spent on the sport...and I'm not a new triathlete. I've been in the sport since the early 90's. They could double their price and I'd still make that statement.”

     Ron Gierut, Finding Freestyle Member since Fall 2010.

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    Similarities, Differences and the 1-Beat Kick

    Finish-Kick Timing: The Near Universal Attribute of Proficient Swimmers
    The question of technique often revolves around schools of thought, whereby the belief in a specific technique as being superior leads to a "one size fits all" approach to stroke development.  When one observes elite swimmers, however, astounding variation in some fundamental areas can be seen, and necessarily contradictions of the tenets of one or another school of thought.  Nevertheless, two camps can form, one of the "everyone is different" crowd, and one of the "everyone is similar" crowd.   

    Everyone is different 
    • Body size 
    • Compostion (muscle, fat, density, flexibility) 
    • Proportions (torso-legs, hand size, feet size, head) 
    • Optimal kick frequency (2, 4, 6 beat or other) 
    • Opposition or full/partial catch-up (i.e. Float and Paddle versus Status of LIberty)

    Everyone is similar 
    • Arm frequency range of elite distance swimmers (1.3-1.6 sec/cycle) 
    • Near exclusive use of even kick frequency (2, 4 or 6 beat kick) 
    • Body connection - hips drive propulsion - even catch-up strokers use rotation to propel (if they are doing it right) 
    • Kick timing - "Finish-Kick" timing
    • Breathing every 2-3 strokes in distance events

    The area of kick frequency is one such area of variation where opinions vary as widely as elite styles, from 2-beat to 6-beat and all manner in between.  Belgian researchers sought to correlate bodily attributes with kick rhythm, and found statistically significant relationships between kick frequency and leg length, hand size, tricep strength, shoulder strength, hip flexibility, and buoyancy (Persyn, et. al. 1975).  
    The topic of kick timing however is far less contentious, and far less variable.  Regardless of frequency, in highly proficient swimmers the finish of each arm pull (called the upsweep by some) is nearly always timed with a kicking down-beat on by the leg on the same side (i.e., left arm finish, left leg downbeat).  We refer to this as a "Finish-Kick" timing.  This timing is so ubiquitous in elite swimming, that it is regarded by Maglischo's book on swimming technique as "seldom a problem"
     (Maglischo, revised edition 2003)
    .  
    However, it is important to note that Maglischo's work was based overwhelmingly with national calibre collegiate swimmers and above -- in non-elite swimmers, the inability to produce this timing is as omnipresent as the ability is in their elite counterparts. 
      

    The 1-Beat Kick as Foundation 
    The 1-beat kick drill is used throughout the program to help the swimmer learn optimal timing.  This drill is as useful for the 2-beat kicker as it is the 4 and 6-beat kicker, since all of these kick styles share a common "finish-kick" which coincides with the finish or upsweep portion of the stroke.  By developing the ability to master the finish-kick timing, the individual is free to utilize whatever kick frequency suits them (or for that matter, appeals to them). 

    "Finding Freestyle with Passive Technique" is a 12-week course with a different approach to developing the basic techniques for fast swimming.  Finding Freestyle is available as an online, self-paced course, and also in a group class in certain areas.

    Click Here to sign up for Finding Freestyle online - or click here to experience Finding Freestyle in coached group classes.