I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built Swim Teach so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching. Take a look back through my previous newsletters and see what you missed.
Master Freestyle Kicking – Are Your Basics Solid? Plus, Fresh Teaching Resources!
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"If I kick harder then I will stay afloat and swim further." ...a common misconception among beginners learning to swim. Relaxed and smooth is the key to an effective and efficient front crawl leg kick. Hi, Mark here. I hope all is well with you. In this edition of Swim Teach News, we are looking at front crawl leg kick technique and a basic exercise to help practice and fine-tune it. If you're a teacher, my resource library is packed with drills and lesson plans to help make your teaching efficient, effective and fresh. Below is a basic drill to help fine-tune your freestyle leg kicking. Click here for detailed information on front crawl leg kick technique. Leg Kick Technique Using a Kickboard. A great exercise to try out is kicking, holding a float or kickboard in both hands straight out in front. Aim: to practice and learn the correct kicking technique. Holding a float or kickboard out in front isolates the legs, encourages correct body position and develops leg strength. Key Actions
Technical Focus
Common Faults
Need More Drills To Improve Front Crawl?Download a full set of 22 basic drills to improve front crawl, covering body position, leg kick, arm pull, breathing and timing and coordination. 'How To Swim Front Crawl' will have you swimming with smooth and efficient technique. Click here to discover my Freestyle eBook. Resources for Swimming Teachers Swimming teacher resources that save time by taking the hard work out of teaching swimming. Click the button below.
That's it for this week. Stay focused, stay in touch and stay safe. Happy swimming! Cheers Mark ps - did someone forward this to you? Subscribe here. |
Hi! I'm Mark, creator of Swim Teach
I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built Swim Teach so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching. Take a look back through my previous newsletters and see what you missed.
Hi, Mark here. Hope all is well. Butterfly is often seen as the hardest stroke — but with the right breakdown, anyone can learn it. Think of it less as a power stroke and more like a rhythmic wave. Here’s how to get started: 🐬 The Basics Arms: Enter shoulder-width, sweep out and in, then relax on recovery. Kick: Drive from your hips with two dolphin kicks per arm cycle. Breathing: Lift just enough during recovery to inhale, then return your face smoothly.👉 Full technique guide ⚠️ Common...
How do I float, and why do I sink? It's a question commonly asked by beginners learning how to swim. Hi, Mark here. Hope all is well. Ever wondered why some people float effortlessly while others seem to sink like a stone? 🤔This week, I’m sharing two powerful resources to help you (and your swimmers) finally crack the floating puzzle: 🧑🏫 For Swimming Teachers: A Ready-to-Use Floating & Gliding Lesson Plan Teaching floating can be tricky — but with the right structure, it becomes one of the...
What if your breathing timing was the one thing holding back your whole stroke? Hi, Mark here. I hope all is well with you. This week we are talking front crawl breathing - and more specifically, the timing of your breath. If you’ve ever felt your breathing “throws you off” in front crawl, you’re not alone. It’s one of the hardest parts to coordinate - but once you get the timing right, everything flows more smoothly. 👉 My full guide is right here. 🌀 What timing means It’s not just when you...