Once achieving a straight leg kick, we ask swimmers to focus on maintaining splashing toes on the surface of the water.
Keeping our legs from sinking will allow for a smoother, faster and easier stroke. When the swimmer's legs break the surface and begin sinking, this creates a drag against the water. Consequently, the swimmers stroke slows, and they struggle to maintain their speed and technique.
This is often seen when swimmers roll to breathe in freestyle. Because the swimmer is focused on turning their head and straightening their arm for a stroke, kicking legs often are forgotten. This with the addition of lifting their chin from their chest leaves swimmers in a diagonal body position. We encourage swimmers to make sure they kick extra fast when they are swimming to prevent their legs from breaking the surface.
Splashing toes are crucial for a smooth flowing stroke and leaves the little swimmer feeling less tired as they have not been working as hard to stay on top of the water.
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