Name
Two Toe Tornado
One-Liner
Can you cross the pool using only your toes and ankles to kick? No knees, no hips — just your feet.
Success Criteria
Reach the opposite bench using only your toes and ankles to propel yourself forward.
Failure Criteria
You use your knees, hips, or upper body to move. Or you fail to reach the other bench.
Core Skill
Ankle and toe flexibility and strength — teaching swimmers how important it is to use their full leg from hips to knees to toes in kicking and movement.
Who
Swimmers of any age or skill level who can swim with a kickboard or a barbell.
What
You need a kickboard or a barbell, two benches, and a pool with enough space between them (about 10 meters apart).
How
- Place two benches at opposite ends of the pool, about 10 meters apart.
- Divide the swimmers into two teams and have them line up behind the benches.
- Give each swimmer a kickboard or a barbell to hold in front of them.
- The first swimmer from each team jumps into the water and holds the kickboard or barbell with both hands.
- The swimmers must freeze their legs together and only move their ankles and toes to kick. They cannot use their knees, hips, or upper body to propel themselves.
- The challenge is to see if they can reach the other bench using only their toes and ankles to kick. If they do, they score a point for their team and tag the next swimmer. If they don’t, they have to swim back to their bench and let the next swimmer try.
- The game continues until one team reaches a certain number of points or until a time limit is up. The team with the most points wins.
Difficulties Instructors Might Face
Swimmers may instinctively use their knees or hips to kick. Remind them to keep their legs straight and together, focusing all movement from the ankles down. Some swimmers may struggle to move forward at all — that’s okay. The challenge is about awareness and control, not speed. For younger or less experienced swimmers, shorten the distance between benches to 5 meters.
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