Which freestyle kick pattern should you use in open water swimming (2-beat, 4-beat or 6-beat kick)

15.08.2021

Many open water swimmers wonder how hard they should use their freestyle kick. A strong kick consumes a lot of oxygen and at the same time contributes relatively little to propulsion. So which freestyle kick pattern should you use in open water swimming?

We recommend open water swimmers to swim with a two-beat kick. With this technique, each arm stroke is accompanied by one short kick. This helps to support the body rotation and at the same time prevents the legs from sinking. As a result, all the energy can be used for the arm stroke while the legs stay fresh for the subsequent bike and run course.

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Even world record swimmers like Katie Ledecky or Gregorio Paltrinieri rely on a two-beat kick for distances of 800 meters and more. Additionally, in some open water competitions neoprene suits are allowed which already supports the body position well.