**Advanced Freestyle Swim Lesson #10:  Freestyle Sprint Kick**

This swimmer is using a steady and consistent 6-beat kick.

This 6-beat rhythm includes 6 downbeats of the legs per complete stroke cycle.  

If we slow things down, we can count the down kicks, starting from the moment that one arm enters…to the moment that arm enters AGAIN.  

You can also think of it as 3 kicks per armstroke.   If we focus on the right arm, you’ll notice that there is a downbeat on the entry of the right arm… a downbeat about half-way during the pull… and a downbeat at the exit of the right arm.

The same timing can be observed on the left arm.

The 6-beat kicking rhythm is natural to many swimmers and usually needs no specific instruction.   Perfect timing between the kicks and the arm cycle, leads to better rotation and a smoother, cleaner stroke.  

However, problems do occur with some swimmers. When swimmers have a wide or scissor-type of kick, it is usually caused by an improper arm recovery, by over rotation, or by a cross-over pull pattern.

By correcting the arm action of a swimmer, and then letting the swimmer just swim without **trying to kick**, the swimmer will often naturally begin to move the legs in a 6-beat fashion.

As the swimmer becomes aware of this natural movement of the legs, all they have to increase their speed is to put some force into their kicking movement.

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Advanced Freestyle #10: Freestyle Sprint Kick