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The whip kick is a variation on the frog kick that some feel is more efficient and therefore all swimmers should use it.
I am not a competitively coach. I teach swimming. I have no interest in being a swimming coach. I have been a judo coach and I know the amount of hours you need to put in to be a good coach and to put those kind of hours into being a swimming coach as well seems to me to be just unreasonable so I don't even try.
I am a swimming teacher because I love to teach and for this reason I cannot attest to whether or not the whip kick is a more efficient kick or not. Except to say I have seen no evidence that it changes anyones efficiency when it comes to breaststroke.
What I have noticed is that those who knees are under strain with the frog kick, if they manage to master the whip kick they find much less stress on their knees. For this reason it is worth trying.
Like this:
Now just in case your having trouble seeing the difference here is the picture of the frog kick:
Pretty simple really. Anyway give it a go and see what you think feels best for you.
How To Whip Kick: Learn How To Swim 101 - Breaststroke
The whip kick is a variation on the frog kick that some feel is more efficient and therefore all swimmers should use it.
I am not a competitively coach. I teach swimming. I have no interest in being a swimming coach. I have been a judo coach and I know the amount of hours you need to put in to be a good coach and to put those kind of hours into being a swimming coach as well seems to me to be just unreasonable so I don't even try.
I am a swimming teacher because I love to teach and for this reason I cannot attest to whether or not the whip kick is a more efficient kick or not. Except to say I have seen no evidence that it changes anyones efficiency when it comes to breaststroke.
What I have noticed is that those who knees are under strain with the frog kick, if they manage to master the whip kick they find much less stress on their knees. For this reason it is worth trying.
How To Whip Kick
The idea is simple enough. If you have mastered the frog kick you should have no trouble with the breaststroke whip kick. All you have to do is keep your knees closer when you start the kick.Like this:
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| Breaststroke Whip Kick |
Now just in case your having trouble seeing the difference here is the picture of the frog kick:
 |
| Breaststroke Kick Viewed From Above |
Pretty simple really. Anyway give it a go and see what you think feels best for you.
Enjoy
Richard
Richard
Hi there, the trouble with the whip kick is that it requires lateral deviation at the knee which can cause long term damage to the joint. Remember that the knee is a hinge joint whereas the hip is a ball and socket joint.
ReplyDeleteG'day Anonymous,
DeleteWouldn't that be the same for frog kick?
I agree with anonymous above. Frog kick involves rotating at the hip at the start of the kick whereas whip kick seems to involve rotating at the knee ("lateral deviation") midway through the kick. Much harder and more stressful to the knee.
ReplyDeleteAs I said above, I have no expertise on the matter and I don't have a preference either way. However I have had students with knee issues that swear by the whip kick.
ReplyDeleteWith that in mind there may be other consideration than what you have mentioned. Keep in mind that the pictures do not clearly show the drawing up of the legs towards the hip before the recovery. From that position, the legs do more pushing that rotating. With the whip kick the legs do not have as far to travel for that recovery, where they come together. Those that swear by it insist that the shorter distance of the recovery is what puts less pressure on their knees.
From my perspective as a swim teacher, I am only interested in the effectiveness of the recovery as, unlike the other parts of the stroke, that is what gives the propulsion. Both the whip kick and the standard breaststroke kick (frog kick) give effective propulsion. Anything else is up to a coach, who one would hope has appropriately qualified bio-mechanic / physio people on had to advise on the risks for any one particular person.
Interesting thought from both of you however and possibly worth keeping in mind by anybody wanting to try whip kick.