Vertical kick, in swimming, is a technique where a swimmer treads water by kicking their legs while maintaining a vertical position in the pool. It's often used as a drill to improve leg strength, core stability, and overall body position in the water.
Understanding Vertical Kick
Vertical kicking involves keeping your body upright and using various kicking styles (like flutter, dolphin, or scissor kick) to stay afloat. The level of difficulty can be adjusted by changing arm positions, such as keeping them at your sides or in a streamlined position above your head, with the latter being more challenging. Rotating the body 90 degrees using only the lower body is another exercise used to improve core control and body awareness during vertical kicking.
Benefits of Vertical Kick
- Improved Leg Strength: It directly strengthens the muscles used for kicking propulsion.
- Enhanced Core Stability: Maintaining a vertical position requires significant core engagement.
- Better Body Position: Practicing vertical kick helps swimmers understand and improve their overall body alignment in the water.
- Increased Lung Capacity: It forces you to be more conscious of breathing and breath control.
