How Katie Ledecky Changes Her Kick For Maximum Efficiency (And How You Can Too)

[@michaelschaeffer5308]

I keep hearing KL uses a 2-beat kick but it looks more like a 1-beat kick to me. The right leg looks still. Amazing.

[@glenn8452]

It's amazing how she used a 2 beat kick and gained quite a lead on the other elite swimmers. (Pretty much a 1 beat kick) I guess it shows how efficient and strong her pulls are. Thanks and great analysis!

[@EffortlessSwimming]

Yes great catch and pull, good hip drive and she does with a consist eating around 80spm

[@glenn8452]

@@EffortlessSwimming I heard that the Olympics added the 1500 for the women next year. I'd bet that Ledecky will be finishing and other swimmers will still be swimming towards the opposite wall. I wanted to watch her swim at Stanford as that is about 25 minute drive from me, but their meets are on Friday's and I'm working...

[@personal-coach]

It’s not only her powerful strokes but also that her streamline is amazing because she barely opens her legs with such tiny but strong kicks.

[@paulcheong4419]

yep my idol...suspect hip drive works better for woman becos they got bigger and lower hip

[@Coconutien]

Thanks so much!!! Probably the greatest improvement in my swimming/triathlon career. For the same effort I swim around 10 sec/100 m faster on my long distance pace, going from a 6 beat kick to a 2 and 4 beat kick. My position in the water is so much better and using my arms a lot more and my legs less it’s much more energy efficient.

[@emilwandel]

Yeah I drown with a 4-6 beat kick swimming for. I don't understand why it is taught that way. I basically use it to stabilze myself.

[@matthiaszucchet]

Just watched the women’s 1500m free heat 3 at the Paris Olympics and noticed that change in her kick. Great you already did an analysis on it!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 really love your content and especially your 8 weeks faster freestyle course! Keep up the amazing work! 🎉

[@rooracer78]

Her catch, in comparison to other swimmers in the background, is incredible..

[@samantarotondelli1255]

this kick techniques have helped drop a lot of time, surprisingly even in shorter distances!

[@RoxyRoth]

I'm a 59 y.o. master's swimmer and have had a natural 2-beat cross over kick since a teenager. My masters coaches CONSTANTLY are trying to get me to stop doing that and do a 4 or 6 beat kick. I've changed my catch/pull to now be more front quadrant but can't seem to change my kick to 4-6 beat and coordinate everything. Q: WHY do most coaches want ppl like me to stop 2-beat kicking??

[@cathyscribner7798]

Same experience.. I started swimming competitively at 8 yo and recently started coached swimming again in my mid 50s...and definitely enjoying swimming longer distances than i used to. Seems my natural freestyle kick is 2 beat, but our coaches encourage 4-6. Granted, it's great brain training to work on/ change/improve swimming efficency, it can also be pretty de-moralizing to try and (fail) to change 50 years of cellular memory to swim a little bit faster. At this point, i'm having some success with minor tweaks but am letting go of anything that's taking the joy out of jumping in the pool for a workout. Because, as we know at this stage of the game, there's a heck of lot more to life than 'winning'. 😊

[@seiti1]

It's amazing what they can do at such high level. It's like F1/Le Mans, many small details make such a huge difference. Feedback about the audio: the music is MUCH louder than your voice.

[@mnsotapop]

same (get music down and voice up)

[@joequillun7790]

Her conditioning is phenomenal. Can't wait to watch her in the next olympics.

[@adamding3873]

As an amateur swimmer, I enjoy 2-beat kicks as it doesn't require much energy. I would try this "1-beat" kick next time. That's really inspiring. It is actually still a 2-beat kick, but both kicks are done by the left leg. When the right arm pulls, the left leg kicks up. Combining with the strength in the core, that ensures a very streamlined position, so that it can use the best of the stronger right arm's propulsion.

[@nealhood7607]

Very good video, and very good synopsis. Her feet are seldom below her horizontal body line.

[@gk-qf9hv]

Thanks man! I've been doing this for some time, and thought it was a bad technique👍

[@carolineandtigger]

I learned a lot today. Thank you for making this video.

[@wolfman6252]

I find all of your videos useful!

[@stuartlichty4250]

Thanks for this analysis. That small pause that she does with her kicking may give her a chance to get a bigger inhalation of air that she holds on to before she exhales forcibly right after the catch, as she is pulling.

[@leivajoaquin4006]

You should do a video explaining the loping technique in freestyle

[@observaciones5213]

Hey! Can you explain us how to coordinate a 2-4 & 6 beat kick? Thank you!

[@KeithHiew]

I do the 1,500 twice to three times a week, and I always use a long course pool because it's easier to stay in count (less turns). Also, to help me keep track, I alternate the 100's by doing the six-beat for the odd hundreds, and then switching around the two-beat and four-beat at 50 each for the even hundreds. For the two-beat I kick a little like Katie, and before watching her properly I thought I was doing it wrong, because my right leg hardly moves. Wanted to do it a bit more like Shinji from TI, but then since Katie is doing it this way, I guess it's fine!

[@robohippy]

As near as I can tell, the 4 beat kick is a modified 6 beat kick. Instead of the 1/2/3, 1/2/3 cycle, you go 1/2/3, 1/rest/rest.

[@IamMagsB]

her pulls are insane!

[@Tdtsnowflake]

She amazes me!

[@stefanosaltsitzoglou3771]

What about her hybrid loping technique and how she uses a hip driven pull on the left side and a shoulder driven pull on the right side. These points are far more interesting than how many times she kicks her legs.

[@i.m.6115]

Kate is one of the best swimmers ever.

[@tengamangapiu]

And how do you develop that hip drive ? With deadlift exercise ?

[@dilansarmad3385]

Great video analysis. Thanks!

[@gregjones3671]

I’ve been working on higher tempo kicking during pool intervals to coincide w increased stroke power and cadence. Notable faster results on the stopwatch. I think of it similar but different to increased rpm on a bike (or getting out if the saddle) or arm pump when doing running intervals. During swim interval recovery, back down to two beat kick. I’ve always been looking for technique to get more thrust out of the legs-six beat is it, though it is like (even looks like) sprinting and burns a lot of energy. “The finishing kick” as they say on the track. Thanks very useful.

[@maximilianwitt6491]

I wish there were a German channel like yours.

[@tonyshihoutang6576]

I saw Paltrinieri also using one beat kick in 1500m event. May I request you do analysis video on him ..

[@peterwang6452]

It is a 1-beat kick. She doesn't kick on the breathing side. I do exactly the same. I find that it is almost impossible to kick on the breathing side.

[@yeonseo3685]

Thanks so much.

[@danielcercasgarcia994]

thanks for explained this video point by point clearly

[@ChienNguyen-vh5iv]

great video

[@Kevin-qj7fp]

im curious katie ledeckys technique could you thereticly improve on it so that you use your bodies core to turn more like a propeller from side to side while using your arms to do most of the gliding and your feet with a mix of katie ledecky + propeller turning (of course your kicking/turning in an arc ) (each foot arcs 180degrees as you kick to use that 180degrees like a propeller balde turning in a circle in this video shes doing 2 kicks but if you did it kinda of my way you would kind of prolong those 2 kicks further increasing purpulsion and increasing gliding and decreasing drag as your kicking like a propeller /katie ledecky while arternating your hand strokes i might be on to something even tho im not a pro swimmer idk swimmers let me know on this and go test it

[@TrieuBach-p9t]

Great swimming so beautiful

[@danielcercasgarcia994]

thanks again,

[@mansoultaiib5592]

Great man thnks very interesting

[@johnswimcat]

I've long wanted to do a two beat kick and I've never been able to. I suspect that's because there are faults with the stroke and my body naturally uses extra kicks to stabilise

[@alexpetrushka651]

you should be able to swim even with 0 kicks, sinking legs is a major beginner problem

[@deirdreosborne1512]

@@alexpetrushka651 That’s not entirely accurate. There are factors like flexibility, body type, compensation due to injury, muscle strength dominance in arms or legs,... etc. People can be built different, sometimes they need to learn to use what is best for their bodies and sometimes it’s technique.

[@johnswimcat]

@@alexpetrushka651 Hi Alex, I think it depends to some extent one's body shape and distribution of weight. I have quite heavy bones and thin legs which doesn't help! However I trained for eight years as a masters swimmer and now realise, after watching these videos, that my front crawl technique was terrible. Dropped elbows, pulling much too deep, rolling too much to the breathing side, right arm coming over under the body, snaking as a result of all this. If I get back in the water I will focus entirely on technique and drills to change the stroke. Just start again. It will be worth it

[@derrickc7525]

Can someone link me to a 4 beat kick tutorial video? Thanks in advance.

[@EffortlessSwimming]

2-Beat, 4-Beat or 6-Beat Kick? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGSblK2jlJqZnpI

[@derrickc7525]

@@EffortlessSwimming Thank you so much

[@Gary-iz8re]

actually it is a 1 beat kick for most of the time

[@technoracko]

It is a two bit

[@swiminlovelyplace5203]

the right leg doesn't kick

[@tengamangapiu]

The right leg being so streamlined and with such a small kick, must reduce water drag a lot

[@tonyshihoutang6576]

May I request you to demonstrate your 1 beat kick in the coming tutorial video ?

[@technoracko]

The queen

[@elizabethsabit3883]

So the.real answer is the catch and the powerful pull?

[@JonBaldie]

Very interesting analysis. Ledecky is also incredibly strong and has a powerful stroke, so with this efficient leg drive she is able to use that stroke power to maximum efficiency.

[@sirdelrio]

I grew up watching Ian Thorpe. That made me see kicking the whole race like the standard. But we all know how hard it is.

[@ChienNguyen-vh5iv]

Can you do a video how she's breathing? I mean closely to her mouth so people can see it more obvious. And a video about her arm movement? lol maybe one more video for Michael Phelp or other Olympian kicking style? Thanks so much

[@jerrycannon6940]

Do one on Ian Thorpe please!!!

[@devidia]

Is it me, or is her right leg during the two beat kick kinda passive?

[@rogger55]

it's passive

[@devidia]

@@rogger55 maybe i should've waited for posting until after watching the entire video

[@rogger55]

@@devidia exactly haha

[@phxrsx]

Basically a rutter.

[@bibiontherocks8732]

Does it work for Triathletes?

[@EffortlessSwimming]

Yes

[@bibiontherocks8732]

But a swimmer is a swimmer and a Triathlet a Triathlet , it’s different , take a Look at Lucy Charles .

[@hybridfedo625]

Lol im a long distance swimmer and i have had the same style 2 years b4 seeing this

[@tonyshihoutang6576]

She had performed 1 beat kick also

[@workhard534]

Great ankle flexibility!!

[@dlrsnate5100]

She has textbook forearm pull underwater omg

[@papeleriarouse3814]

And Sung Yang, Mark Horton Ufff

[@vicinvesta8349]

Isn't this rather standard for long distance swimming ?

[@hfhf9528]

Her high elbow catch is clearly at a different level compared to the swimmer in the next lane.

[@santos54979]

OMG!!!!!😱😱😱😍😍

[@짱마이클]

1beat kick?

[@4f00d]

WR with a limping leg !

[@alengo4831]

Whats her breathing pattern ? :-)

[@coinmarketswot3264]

This is the longest swimming pool I've ever seen.

[@mbhbYT]

Does Katie ever breathe left?

[@TrungDo]

👍❤

[@dbabs1128]

"High level of swimer". Katie is accualy the highest level, atleast femalewise.

[@OceanMaverick]

Seems all analysts live in a BOX. That’s a 1 beat then 4 beat kick. Not just a 2,4,6. There’s also a 1,3,5 beat kicks and those are always the ones that mesmerize the watcher cuz no one says it like it is. She’s only doing a 1,3 & 5 beat kick. It messes with one’s mind to say 2,4 and 6 cuz it’s not.

[@hdr61]

Tells me to quit the video. Here i am lol

[@davidwang5986]

She may have long arms and big hands

[@davidwang5986]

Like Sun Yang, her kicks are asymmetrical

[@THX-wc2jo]

Incredible that her 2-beat kick has strong left leg kick and BARELY any right leg kick! Like a one-beat! Wonder why?! Saving energy? I would think she’d be faster with true 2-beat - but clearly she’s using the kick that works best for her!

[@kolboch]

If you think about it she glides just on one side, so definietely it has something to do with that.

[@emilwandel]

I think she would loose her streamline and her feet will actually slow her down. She uses the kick just to stabilze. One side kicks stronger because of her breathing side rotating her out of the streamline.

[@wsalas13]

Looks like a 1 beat kick at one point

[@blacksharkswimmer3729]

editing is annoying