Pull Buoy Knees
A pull buoy held lightly between the knees during breaststroke kick – stops the knees splaying and focuses power in the feet.
- Stages
- Stage 5, Stage 6
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Breaststroke Kick, Stroke Efficiency
- Equipment
- Float, Pull Buoy
- Age
- 7–99 years
- Group size
- 1–14 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Check swimmers are happy kicking with legs restricted; allow them to drop the buoy anytime.
What it develops
- Breaststroke with effective kick, glide and timing
- Swim with fewer, longer strokes
- Breaststroke with strong propulsion and controlled glide
- Improve stroke efficiency on all strokes
How to run it
- Hold a pull buoy between the knees (lightly).
- Kick breaststroke holding a float, face in, breathing each kick.
- The feet must turn out and sweep round while the knees stay close.
- Remove the buoy and keep the same narrow knees.
Teaching cues
- Hold the buoy.
- Feet do the work.
- Kick and squeeze.
Make it easier
- Kick on the back with the buoy.
- Shorter distance.
Make it harder
- No float, arms streamlined.
- Count kicks per width – fewer is better.
Common faults
- Buoy dropping because knees splay.
- Feet not turning out, so no push.
Corrections
- Place the buoy just above the knees.
- Return to Duck Feet at the wall.
Assistant / L1 role
- Collect dropped pull buoys and tell the swimmer how many kicks they managed before it slipped.