(Terry mid-stroke, poised to flick the toes of the bottom leg to drive his top hip down and entering hand forward, and propel him into a streamlined position on the other side)

This week we shift our focus to a more advanced skill in the T.I. swimming sequence: the 2-beat kick. As most readers of this blog will know, the first fundamental skills that we prioritize are balance and active streamlining, which reduce drag and optimize body position in the water. Once a balanced and streamlined body position is achieved, we then turn our attention to creating propulsion, through weight shifts of the core-body and a fully-connected stroke, powered by “the kinetic chain.” To understand how the kinetic chain functions in baseball, for example, here’s a brief description from an article on overhand pitching in the academic journal, “Sports Health”:  

“The overhand pitching motion consists of a sequence of body movements that start when the pitcher lifts the lead foot, progresses to a linked motion in the hips and trunk, and culminates with a ballistic motion of the upper extremity to propel the ball toward home plate. The effective synchronous use of selective muscle groups maximizes the efficiency of the kinetic chain. The lower extremity and trunk generate and transfer energy to the upper extremity. Coordinated lower extremity muscles (quadriceps, hamstrings, hip internal and external rotators) provide a stable base for the trunk (core musculature) to rotate and flex…”

 (Frame-by-frame, pitching windup and release in baseball, illustrating the kinetic chain)

Similarly, in swimming, the propulsion of the stroke is generated via the kinetic chain– transferring energy by connecting the arms and legs to the power of whole-body rotation and extension. Watching a pitcher, we may see the baseball released rapidly by the player’s arm– but that singular body part is clearly not the entire source of the power and speed. It’s generated in the integrated full-body windup, of course. Likewise– in swimming– using the diagonal power of an effective 2-beat kick to connect our legs to the hip drive and core-body rotation, as one spears an arm forward, is rather analogous to a pitcher’s windup and release. Or a golfer’s swing. Or that of a tennis player! Obviously, the kinetic chain is evidenced in all sports– the point is, our true power lies in fully-connected, whole body movements. Once balance and streamlining skills can be performed easily, mastering a 2-beat kick is an excellent way to develop a more integrated stroke that maximizes your speed and efficiency.

For a complete, illustrated breakdown of the 2-beat kick, check out Terry’s article below, previously published in “Outdoor Swimmer” magazine. And if a picture’s worth a thousand words, a video’s worth even more– take a look at the instructive, brief YouTube video demo and analysis of the 2-beat kick by TI Coach Mandy McDougal. Enjoy… and Happy Laps!

 Outdoor Swimmer, 2/18/16: “Master the Two-Beat Kick” — Terry Laughlin

What’s the best front crawl kick pattern to use in open water – whether for pleasure or speed? Most swimmers have little familiarity with their kick or understanding of its role in propulsion. I was no exception. For 40 years, my legs fatigued each time I raced while adding precious little speed. I believed I needed to kick harder to swim faster, but doing so only disrupted my stroke rhythm while exhausting me. Decades of kicking sets did nothing to improve the functionality of my kick, nor minimize that ‘dead legs’ sensation.

There are two distinct kick rhythms in freestyle: the six-beat kick (6BK), with six leg beats per arm cycle (i.e. two strokes) and the two-beat kick (2BK), with just two beats per arm cycle. In both styles, only two beats contribute to propulsion through body rotation. In 6BK, the other four beats are preoccupied with body position and alignment.
The 6BK is unquestionably best for maximizing speed over distances of 100 metres or less. From 200 to 400 metres, either can be effective, depending on swimmer preference. As racing distance increases beyond 400 metres, the 2BK offers ever greater advantages in speed-for-effort.

The fastest distance swimmer ever, Sun Yang, uses both kicks to great effect. When he broke the 1500m world record in the 2012 Olympics, he used a 2BK for 90 per cent of the race before shifting up to a powerful 6BK in the final 150 metres. He used the 6BK exclusively in the 200m final, where he finished third. Given that, I believe a 2BK is the most efficient for virtually all distances and fitness levels in open water swimming.

To read the entire article, with accompanying illustrations, and step-by-step breakdown, click HERE.

 T.I. Coach Mandy McDougal Demonstrating the 2-Beat Kick (2:50)

Slow-mo & frame-by-frame analysis, illustrating how the 2-beat kick integrates with the whole stroke

LEARN MORE: Purchase the Total Immersion Freestyle Mastery Lesson Two: Expert 2-Beat Kick video as a digital download!

The post DEMO: Master the 2-Beat Kick– Connect Your Legs to the Power of Core Rotation for Maximal Speed & Efficiency appeared first on Total Immersion.

I initially credited my success in open water to “natural endurance” and to having an instinct for racing without walls and lanes that others lacked.

I left the ocean behind after moving to Richmond VA in 1978. When I resumed swimming in open water in the early 1990s, I picked up where I’d left off—competing successfully in open water with people whose ‘wake I’d eaten’ in the pool.

In 2001, turning 50, I began to think of myself as an “open water specialist.” In part because the ‘sky lakes’ in Minnewaska State Park, became available for wide open swimming after years of being restricted to roped-in areas, not much bigger than a pool.

Committing to ‘Open Water Technique’

At the time, I trained in Masters workouts and swam pool meets occasionally. It occurred to me that the stroke I used in open water races—mostly between 1 and 3 miles—felt long and integrated, while the stroke I used in the pool–especially in the heat of a race (including with teammates in training)–felt more hurried and choppy.

Since I’d had my greatest success in open water races, I thought I should ‘put my eggs in that basket,’ using my open water stroke exclusively, even when racing teammates on short repeats. This meant limiting the number of strokes I would allow myself in training to 15, while keeping my average SPL between 13 and 14.

My stroke limit of 15 strokes put me at a disadvantage on 25- and 50-yard repeats, when many of my Masters teammates would take 20 or more

Thought I trailed significantly at first, before long I began closing the gap on high-revving teammates.  Taking fewer strokes forced me to get more out of each stroke, but I adapted fairly quickly. And on longer repeats or sets—where I’d always finished near the top of the group–I saw even more improvement.

In 2002, I swam the 28.5-mile Manhattan Island Marathon, completing it with far longer, and more leisurely, strokes than any other competitor. From then through 2004, I had strong results in races of all distances.  But it wasn’t until reading an article in 2005 by Jonty Skinner—at the time Performance Science Director for USA Swimming–that I realize how uniquely suited were the techniques I’d been practicing for open water.

Hip-Driven vs. Shoulder-Driven

Skinner’s article analyzed the contrasting techniques employed by freestylers who were more successful in Short Course (25y/m pools) vs. those who shone in Long Course (50m pools). Because the Olympics are held in Long Course, success in a 50m pool is highly valued.

After studying video from 20 years of national championships in both courses, Skinner observed that elite Long Course freestylers  swam with longer, lower-tempos ‘hip-driven’ strokes. In contrast, elite Short Course freestylers swam with shorter, higher-tempo   ‘shoulder-driven’ strokes.

Skinner explained the disparity this way: Among elite freestylers, in a 25-yard pool, the ratio of swimming to non-swimming (turns and pushoffs) is approximately 2.6 to 1. In a 50-meter pool, the swimming to non-swimming ratio rises to nearly 8 to 1.

I.E. During a minute of Short Course swimming, an athlete could spend as little as 43 seconds swimming and as much as 17 seconds “not-swimming.” In a 50-meter pool, he or she would spend about 53 seconds swimming and only 7 seconds “not-swimming.”

As Skinner explained, a shoulder-driven stroke allows the swimmer to achieve higher tempos and generate higher arm forces. This can create more speed in short bursts,but has great potential to cause fatigue. Frequent ‘rest breaks’ received by the arms on turns allow the swimmer to recover sufficiently to sustain a fast pace for distances up to about 200 yards.

But in a 50m pool, and when swimming over 2 minutes continuously, the hip-driven stroke proved to be the far better choice.

Upon reading Skinner’s article, I instantly recognized that what provided a significant advantage in 50-meter pools ought to be even more advantageous in open water, where the swimming-to-recovering ratio rises to infinity.

‘Lose’ the Pool Repeat to Win in Open Water

My instincts had already led me in the right direction. To complete 25 yards in 15 or fewer strokes, I had to use the hip-driven style. At 18 or more strokes, my teammates were shoulder-driven.  After reading Skinner’s article, I redoubled my commitment to hip-driven technique. (I also put more focus on understanding and teaching techniques which would maximize the advantage of hip-driven technique. I’ll note those in the next installment of this series.)

And of course since most open water competitors and triathletes do the majority of their training in 25-yard pools—and especially if they race others, as in Masters workouts—the pace clock and their natural competitiveness provides a strong incentive to revert to shoulder-driven strokes. It requires a conscious decision to limit stroke count–and strong restraint when swimming next to a shoulder-driven swimmer—to hardwire the hip-driven style.

Back in 2005, I was willing to ‘lose’ the 25-yard in the present moment to  be better prepared for an open water event that might be several months in the future. The following year I won the first of six National Masters open water titles and broke two national age group records. I feel certain none of this would have been possible had I not committed to the hip-driven stroke.

This article has been excerpted, in part, from the ebook Outside the Box: A Program for Success in Open Water

Hip-driven technique is illustrated on the DVDs  Outside the Box and TI Self-Coached Workshop.  Get all three items for 20% off in our Open Water Success bundle.

Or learn open water technique, strategies and tactics at any TI Open Water Camp.

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