There are three drill videos in the Rotational Kicking Progression. Initially, use fins for all of these drills – or you might even try a single fin to focus on one leg at a time.

The first drill, by Gary Hall Sr, explains the importance of rotation and the need to rotate quickly. The drill used, which he calls the 6-kick Switch Drill, gives you six kicks between each rotation. Let that sixth kick drive your hip and core rotation!

After it’s easy to rotate to the other side quickly on every sixth kick, try rotating every fifth kick. Soon you will be ready to try rotating every third kick, which is normal freestyle and backstroke six-beat kick timing, as in the second and third drills below.

Drill #1 – Backstroke Rotational Kicking (every sixth kick)

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Drill #2 – Backstroke Rotational Kicking (every third kick)

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Drill #3 – Freestyle Rotational Kicking (every third kick)

When you can perform these drills comfortably, face up or face down, with a smooth 6-beat kick, and breathing to either side (for the face-down version), you are ready to start using your arms to swim very fast, very efficient, freestyle and backstroke!