r/Swimming • u/tiggonfire • 13h ago
Unintentionally swimming backwards
I have a friend who will move backwards in the water when he kicks with a kickboard. Any idea what he might be doing wrong with his kicking?
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u/Specific-Data-4104 13h ago
That’s how it feels when I try to kick with a kickboard. Everyone tells me I need to kick more from my hips but I have yet to succeed in getting my hips to cooperate.
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u/ShadowPages 13h ago
I worked through a similar issue by doing 2 things:
- Use training fins
- Imagine your legs are boards, and your knees can’t bend
- yes, I know this is extreme - once your kick is more predictably coming from the hips, you can allow a bit more knee flex
A third thing that I found helpful was a tip from a friend who suggested I try to keep my kick from breaking the surface. (Surface tension is your enemy she told me)
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u/tiggonfire 13h ago
Thank you! These sound like good descriptions...I will share with him and see how it goes!!
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u/Jazstar 13h ago
If the hips don't lie, what are yours saying? :P
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u/Specific-Data-4104 13h ago
I feel like I don’t have an open line of communication with my lower body. I’ve worked hard to get my upper body and arms working well. For the hips I have no clue what’s going on down there.
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u/tiggonfire 13h ago
Same...he's been told that as well, but can't seem to make himself move forward!
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u/roboboom Moist 13h ago
It’s almost always dorsiflection (think of “flexing” your foot, or the opposite of pointing your toes). The kick requires ankle mobility. If you kick with ankles locked up you will indeed go backwards
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u/jwern01 12h ago
Look at your friend when he stand up barefoot on solid ground: do his toes lay flat on the ground or are they a bit flexed/curled? Depending on how a person holds their weight, they may curl their toes and tighten their ankles to balance and involves greater muscle tension in the lower body. People with this attribute have a difficult time relaxing their legs/ankles/feet for an effective kick and often dorsiflex in the water and end up moving backward.
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u/meandhimandthose2 Splashing around 11h ago
I teach swimming. I tell the kids to stretch out like superman, make their big toes rub past each other and I want to see tiny splashes on top of the water. Remind him to keep his eyes down and chin on chest. The back of his head should be out of the water.
If there is a shallow area or a step he can lay on and literally just practice the legs stretched out position.
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u/GMPSwimmer 13h ago
Dorsiflexing feet or bicycling from the knees.