KICKSTICKS 4 - Teaching Freestyle Basics

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In this, the fourth step in teaching young swimmers freestyle basics, we use the kicksticks to make them aware of extension.

Why do it:
Making very young swimmers aware that the extension is more important than the pull, can help you start their development with a longer and more efficient bodyline.

How to do it:
1 - Hold the kickstick with one hand.
2 - Keep the arm with the kickstick RIGID out front, don't let the arm bend.
3 - Start taking strokes with the other arm.
4 - When the stroking arm enters the water, PUSH the fingers PASSED the kickstick.

How to do it really well (the fine points):
The young swimmers may plunge the hand downward to get it under the stick. To make sure they're sending the hand into the proper extension, have them scrape the back of their forearm against the underside of the kickstick.

It's very important that the arm holding the kickstick stays rigid, so the swimmers don't bring the stick back to the stroking hand, but that the stroking hand pushes passed the stick, into extension.