Rotating Kick, Swimming From The Hips

Following on from last weeks’ post, this drill starts looking at taking hip rotation into full stroke – and demonstrates how useful core control can be!

Why Do It:

By controlling movement through your core, and generating rotation/balance through your hips you free up muscle recruitment – and energy in your shoulders; This will allow you more strength and power in your arms to propel you forward. Remember everything that we do should be to make us go forward; it is actually relatively easy to be on top of the water with no effort at all.

Also by rotating and working from the hips, you are more likely to keep the body moving as a whole, rather than in separate sections. If the body is twisting in the mid section, then you will waste energy and be more likely to snake through the water.

How To Do It:

1) Lie flat on the water, eyes down, core engaged.

2) Kick steadily, long freestyle kicks – from the hips!

3) To rotate onto your side, rotate your hips and shoulders so they are perpendicular to the water’s surface – still looking straight down.

4) Rotate back to flat on your front – then to the opposite side. Repeat down the length.

I tend to suggest rotating in each direction every 6 kicks to maintain a rhythm to the drill, but it’s up to you how often you want to change position.

I also start by negating the breathing – performing the drill until needing air – so that you don’t have to move the head. The more your head moves, the more disrupted your stroke or drill will become.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):

When you start to introduce breathing into the drill, remember to keep movements as smooth as possible. Maintain a good long neck (strong posture remember!) and just twist your chin toward your top shoulder. You don’t HAVE to breathe every rotation, but taking breaths regularly will minimise you having to snatch breaths and potentially lifting your head.

While remembering that the rotation occurs from the hips, make sure that the action is a real snap – as water is very heavy and you want to drive the hips from one position to the next (horizontal – vertical and back again).

Remember to keep the legs kicking throughout! They don’t have to kick fast at all, just long, relaxed and smooth.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch; either by email, facebook or leave a comment on here!

See what’s up next week for our #SwimTechTues tip!