What it is
A breaststroke kick progression built on flexing, lifting and flexing, and finally pushing on the water. Sometimes called the "whip" kick because the feet accelerate like a whip by snapping the legs and squeezing the knees. Primary focus for new learners: Flex.
Essentials
- Teach "FLEX" first: heels together, toes out, toes up.
- The kick sequence is: lift, flex, circle, push and squeeze.
- Go slow. Repeat each step many times.
- Keep the motion compact and controlled.
- Use the inside of the foot to push against the water.
- Practice on land first, then in the water.
Progression
- Siting on the side (deck): Use the edge of the pool or a bench. Learners sit with their butt on the edge so they're almost falling in; lean backwards and support the body with hands. Begin with legs extended straight → bend knees and feet down → flex toes to outside (away from each other) → circle and squeeze feet together back to start. Build the feeling of flex, lifting and flexing, and finally pushing. Go slow; repeat each step many times.
- SL + Flex: Push off the wall in streamline (no kick, no arms). Hold "flex" (heels together, toes lifted and turned outwards) for a few body lengths. Do four repetitions.
- SL + Lift & Flex: Push off in streamline. Bend the knees to lift the feet, then flex the toes. Pause in this position for a few beats (freeze). Do four repetitions.
- Single kick with an exaggerated glide: After flex and lift & flex are mastered, provide opportunity for learners to PUSH the water with the inside of their feet. Encourage swimmers to feel the power and strength of a single breaststroke kick. Prolong or exaggerate the glide after the kick.
- SL + 1 BR K: Push off in streamline (no kick) at the surface. Remain in streamline or move to Position 11, then do a single breaststroke kick.
What goes wrong
- Toes not turning away from each other during flex: watch for the toes actually pointing outward.
- Feet not circling and squeezing back together: watch the feet complete the circle and squeeze to the start position.
- The source does not list additional named errors for this progression.
How you know it worked
The swimmer can feel the power and strength of a single breaststroke kick and holds a prolonged, exaggerated glide after the push.
How you teach it
The progression breaks the kick into chunks and then puts them back together as one movement. Flex is the most important part because it is where the inside of the foot engages to push; if a learner cannot flex, the push has no foundation. On the deck, the sit-on-the-edge position (butt on the edge, leaning back, hands supporting) lets the learner feel the leg and foot motion without the variable of staying afloat. Once the learner understands flex, shift attention to the inside of the feet pushing against the water as the legs extend. In the water, the pause in the lift-and-flex position is a deliberate freeze—think of the swimmer being "frozen"—so they can feel the position before releasing into the push. A useful deck drill: have the learner put the inside of their feet against the wall, the same way they would for a breaststroke kick, to build the push sensation before going in the water. Keep the tempo slow throughout; the goal is feeling and position, not speed. The progression from four reps of SL + Flex to four reps of SL + Lift & Flex to a single full kick keeps the cognitive load low and lets each chunk become automatic before the next is added.