Kickboard and Pull Buoy Drills: Enhancing Stroke Efficiency in Breaststroke

Isolating Power and Precision — One Drill at a Time

Breaststroke is a stroke of balance: power from the legs, timing from the arms, and rhythm from the breath. But when both arms and legs are working together, it’s easy to mask inefficiencies. That’s where kickboard and pull buoy drills become indispensable.

Far from being “beginner tools,” these simple pieces of equipment allow swimmers to isolate and refine the two most critical components of breaststroke: the whip kick and the compact pull. When used intentionally, they build strength, correct technique, and enhance overall stroke efficiency.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to use kickboards and pull buoys not as crutches, but as precision instruments for breaststroke mastery.

🐸 Why Isolation Drills Are Essential for Breaststroke

Unlike freestyle or backstroke, breaststroke’s propulsion comes from two distinct, non-overlapping phases:

1. The pull (arms) → lifts the body for breathing

2. The kick (legs) → drives forward momentum

If one phase is weak or mistimed, the entire stroke collapses. Isolation drills help you:

• Diagnose weaknesses (e.g., weak kick vs. over-pulling)

• Build specific strength without compensation

• Reinforce proper timing and body position

• Reduce drag by refining each component separately

“You can’t fix what you can’t feel. Isolation reveals the truth.”— Dave Salo, USC Trojan Swim Coach

🦵 Kickboard Drills: Building a Powerful, Legal Breaststroke Kick

✅ Purpose:

• Strengthen hip flexors and adductors

• Teach compact, underwater knee recovery

• Ensure toes point outward for maximum snap

🔧 How to Use the Kickboard Correctly:

• Hold with both hands, arms extended in streamline

• Keep head down, eyes at bottom of pool

• Hips at surface — no sinking

• Knees stay underwater during recovery (FINA legal requirement)

🛠️ Key Kickboard Drills:

1. Basic Breast Kick (25m x 6–8)

• Focus: Heels to butt, knees close together, explosive snap

• Cue: “Kick like you’re cracking a walnut between your ankles.”

2. Vertical Breast Kick (No Board)

• In deep water, cross arms over chest

• Kick to keep chin above water

• Builds kick power without wall dependence

3. Kick + Glide (15m kicks → 10m glide)

• After 6–8 powerful kicks, extend into full streamline

• Teaches momentum carryover — critical for race efficiency

⚠️ Avoid: Holding the board at waist level — this sinks hips and encourages wide knees.

💪 Pull Buoy Drills: Refining the Compact, Efficient Pull

✅ Purpose:

• Eliminate leg drive to focus purely on arm mechanics

• Prevent over-pulling past shoulders (illegal in competition)

• Build high-elbow sculling and chest-level catch

🔧 How to Use the Pull Buoy Correctly:

• Place between thighs (not calves) to keep hips high

• Keep legs straight and relaxed — no kicking

• Maintain neutral head position — breathe low and forward

🛠️ Key Pull Buoy Drills:

1. Fists-Only Breaststroke (4 x 25m)

• Swim with closed fists

• Forces use of forearms and high elbows for propulsion

• Reveals if you’re “paddling” with flat hands

2. 3-2-1 Timing Drill (4 x 25m)

• “3” = Pull and breathe

• “2” = Hold streamlined position

• “1” = Initiate next stroke

• Builds patience and glide discipline

3. One-Arm Breaststroke (4 x 25m per arm)

• One arm performs full pull; other stays in streamline

• Isolates asymmetry and refines pull path

⚠️ Avoid: Lifting head too high — causes hips to drop, even with buoy.

🔄 Combining Both: The Full Stroke Integration

After isolation work, reintegrate with purpose:

Pyramid Set: Isolate → Integrate

• 4 x 25m Kickboard

• 4 x 25m Pull Buoy

• 4 x 25m Full Breaststroke (apply insights)

• Rest: 20s between reps

🎯 Focus: “My kick is tighter. My pull is shorter. My glide is longer.”

📊 How to Track Progress

Metric	How to Measure	Goal
Kick Speed	Time 25m kickboard	Drop 1–2 seconds over 6 weeks
Pull Efficiency	Stroke count with pull buoy	Fewer strokes = better catch
Glide Distance	After kick, before pull	2–4 meters maintained
Perceived Effort	Rate 1–10 after 100m	Same speed, lower effort

🎥 Film your full stroke before and after drill sets — look for higher hips, tighter knees, and compact pull.

⚠️ Common Mistakes — And How to Fix Them

Mistake	Why It’s Bad	Fix
Using kickboard for upper body rest	Encourages lazy kicking	Add tempo trainer to maintain rhythm
Over-kicking with board	Builds wrong muscle pattern	Focus on quality over speed
Pulling past shoulders with buoy	Reinforces illegal stroke	Use “tennis ball under chin” cue
Dropping elbows in pull	Reduces propulsion	Fists-only drill to engage forearms

💬 Pro Tips from Elite Coaches

“I don’t care how fast your kick is. I care if your knees stay underwater.”— Mel Marshall, Coach of Adam Peaty

“The pull buoy doesn’t make you faster — it shows you where you’re wasting energy.”

“Great breaststroke isn’t loud. It’s quiet, tight, and timed.”

Final Thoughts

Kickboards and pull buoys aren’t training wheels — they’re microscopes. They magnify what’s working and expose what’s not. When used with intention, they transform vague effort into precise improvement.

So the next time you grab a board or buoy, don’t just go through the motions.Diagnose. Refine. Apply.

Because in breaststroke, speed isn’t pulled or kicked —it’s crafted.

Kick tight. Pull compact. Glide smart.

In breaststroke, efficiency isn’t found in the whole stroke — it’s built in the parts. 🐸💙