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Long legs, toes breaking the surface with fast feet, body balanced and in a horizontal position.
IM2
This award secures one of the main aspects of a good body position by the swimmer. They must constantly produce long legs, toes breaking the surface with fast feet and the body balanced in a horizontal position.
Providing a solid base for Freestyle or this award can easily be awarded for scissor kick, Butterfly kick or Breaststroke. If you wish to purchase individual stroke kick awards you can purchase these using the following links.
As this is a main aspect of the stroke there are main things you can do to encourage a good leg kick.
Encourage the swimmer to place their face in the water to help with their overall position. If they are reluctant to do this start with chin on the water and a stretched out neck like a turtle.
Working with a float, a rail or woggle swimmers can practice being a soldier with straight legs and then adding a small scissor leg movement before moving on to a leg kick.
Ballerina legs or similar is always a good image as swimmers can relate to as this encourages pointed toes. Swimmers can show ballerina legs before they swim, whilst on their backs with a woggle under their arms so they can see their legs and toes and then move into a horizontal body position to continue the ballerina legs
Start working on the swimmer maintaining their tummy up to produce the flat horizontal position which will help create the correct leg kick.
Start slowly with a float/woggle so swimmers can concentrate on the leg only aspect before moving onto using their arms and trying to maintain the leg kick by put it all together.
This is something a swimmer can practice at home whilst or in their bath with their parents supervision.