Freestyle - Egyptian Crawl

Developing a quick, productive kick is important for all swimmers, but especially for sprint freestylers.  This drill forces the feet to move quickly, and constantly through the entire length.

Why Do It:
Egyptian Crawl requires the leg that's used to kick, to stay active or the entire body will sink into the water.  It also requires a quick catch out front to keep you moving.

How to Do It:
1.  Push off, and as you start swimming freestyle, bend one of your legs so that your foot is pointing directly to the ceiling.
2.  Keep your legs as stable as possible, and try to keep your toe pointing straight up.
3.  You'll have to keep your kicking foot moving much more quickly than you're used to, and keep the kick small.
4.  Do this drill for short distances as you'll quickly realize just how tough it is.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):
Since this is such a tough drill, it may be just a bit TOO tough for some.  If this is the case, here's a couple options that can help you.  Put on a pair of paddles and a pull buoy.  Do the drill as described above, only now you'll have more to catch with out front, and some help from the pull-buoy in keeping you somewhat balanced.  You'll see that you'll still need to kick.

Another trick would be to put on a fin, just one, and work one side for a couple lengths, then put a fin on the other foot.  This will require that you still keep a constant kick, but the increased surface area will give you just a bit more power to keep you moving.