Training With Shoes? Old School Method To Improve Your Kick

Training with shoes in the swimming pool can help to improve kicking skills and leg development according to University of Alabama Associate Head Coach Jonty Skinner.

Jun 25, 2017 by Temarie Tomley Tomley

Training With Shoes? Old School Method To Improve Your Kick

Have you ever swum with shoes on? It's a different training method that University of Alabama Associate Head Coach Jonty Skinner has been implementing into practices at Alabama.

It isn't something that's new -- it has actually been around for a quite a while. I remember using them four years ago back in my club swimming days. Any pair of gym shoes works, but you'll probably want old ones

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So how does it work and why?

According to Coach Skinner, "Training with shoes puts strain on the pattern of movement, forces hamstrings to work the up kick, and increases strength and endurance."

The heavier the shoe, the more water it will take on and the harder it will be, causing more strain on the kick movement. This is a new training method for us at Alabama that Jonty introduced because he always wants to bring innovation to the program, especially after an Olympic year, and as he said, he likes to "cycle through adaptations and bring something new into the environment."

Right now we are in our maintenance and speed phase, but our peak was around 500m with shoes on. During taper, there will be no shoe work. Using shoes forces swimmers to use their core, increase rotation of their hips, and create more focus on and up and down motion in the kick.

Kicking with shoes for the first time will feel like you are going nowhere in the water, but over time that will slightly improve.

Here are two sets that you can do with shoes on to improve leg development:

1.) Kick -- 4X {1X50 on 1:30, 2X25s on :50} (long course meters)

*OR*

2.) Kick -- 8X25s on :40 w/chute @FAST effort (short course yards)
Rest 30
Kick -- 6X25s on :40 w/chute @20 max effort per 25

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