What it is
A Level 3 testable skill in which the swimmer sits on the pool edge and demonstrates the breaststroke kick motion—flex, circle, squeeze—with correct ankle flex and foot travel, without swimming or generating propulsion.
Essentials
- The three-part motion: flex, circle, squeeze
- Correct direction of the kick
- Correct flex of the ankles (toes up, not pointed)
- Foot travel: toes up, toes down, heels out, heels in
- Done repeatedly, not just once in a lesson
- Position: butt on the edge, leaning back; the more leg over the water, the easier the kick is to practice
Progression
- Right foot only: toes up → toes down → heel up → heel down → toes out → toes in → heels out → heels in → toes out + toes UP ("What's this called? FLEX!")
- Left foot only: same sequence
- Both feet together: same sequence
- 5× Draw a circle with your heels around a hula hoop (partner in water holds the hoop; start at closest edge, circle around both sides to the top)
- Lay on deck, belly down: legs straight → lift left leg, bend knee, flex feet → make a circle and squeeze back to flat, legs straight
- 3× Streamline + "Flex": push off with feet flexed, legs straight and held together; only the feet turn out (builds the habit of flexing/flaring)
- 3× Streamline + "Lift and Flex": in streamline, lift feet up and flex; hold the position
- Full breaststroke kick on the edge, both feet, repeated
What goes wrong
- Kicking breaststroke incorrectly in the water reinforces the wrong motion; that is why the skill is built on the edge first, without propulsion
- Ankles stay pointed instead of flexed (the isolated toe/heel drills and the "FLEX!" cue target this)
- The kick is performed only once or twice rather than repeatedly, so the pattern is not embedded
- Swimmer tries to generate forward motion instead of isolating the leg pattern
How you know it worked
Swimmer sits on the edge of the pool and demonstrates 10 breaststroke kicks with correct form (flex, circle, squeeze, correct direction). The motion is done repeatedly, not just a single attempt.
How you teach it
"Demonstrate" at this level does not mean the swimmer must perform the kick perfectly as part of a swim. It means they can follow a set series of instructions and produce the correct choreography of the motion while sitting on the edge, even if it does not move them anywhere. The goal is to confirm they can follow instructions and execute the motion correctly before any propulsion is added, because letting a child kick breaststroke incorrectly in the water teaches the incorrect pattern.
Position the swimmer with their butt on the edge, about to fall in; leaning back helps. The more of the leg that hangs over the water, the easier it is to isolate the kick. Work through the isolated toe and heel drills one foot at a time before combining, so the swimmer feels each component of the flex-circle-squeeze sequence.
Time allocation: this skill can be covered in one lesson over roughly 10 minutes. It should not become the primary 35-minute focus of every session—freestyle breathing and backstroke body position remain the primary Level 3 goals. Use the streamline + flex and streamline + lift-and-flex drills to bridge from the edge work toward in-water application.
Bonus goals extend the skill: perform the kick in the water while leaning on a barbell or float; have the swimmer look at their feet while kicking, then repeat without looking; push off the wall in streamline and execute two breaststroke kicks. The challenge set (splash with the top, bottom, outside, and inside of the foot past the flags) adds a game element that reinforces the full range of foot travel without requiring the swimmer to move forward.