4.3. Do I even need to kick when swimming crawl?

And why is the kicking there at all, when it doesn’t move you forward that much and uses up so much oxygen? What if we didn’t kick at all?

Unfortunately, that option wouldn’t work either. We absolutely need to keep our legs at the surface so we don’t create drag for ourselves. So we have to find a compromise between not exhausting ourselves with fast kicking and not letting our legs sink.

In general, the fewer kicks per stroke cycle, the less effort.

Kicking is crucial in sprint freestyle events, where every tenth of a second can mean the difference between first and tenth place. A strong kick also matters when we want to speed up and overtake someone.

On the other hand, if our goal is to swim comfortably, not race, or to race long-distance, then we try to keep our legs as relaxed as possible, just using them lightly to support body position, mainly to keep our hips and heels at the surface.