Breaststroke and flutter kick are two of the three kicks necessary to do the four strokes used in swimming competition. Breaststroke is also called frog kick, because the leg movement mimics a frog's. Flutter kick is performed during both the front crawl and back crawl, called freestyle and backstroke, respectively.
Doing Breaststroke Kick
Holding the back edge of the kickboard with your arms extended straight in front of you. Place your head between your arms so your face is in the water. Bend your knees, bringing your feet near your bottom. Your knees are allowed to separate slightly, but should remain as close as possible; your ankles are slightly bent and should not break the water's surface. This is the part of the kick where you take a breath; lift your face out of the water --- looking straight ahead --- and inhale. As you exhale your breath, whip your legs around until they are straight behind you. Continue to repeat this motion.
As your breaststroke technique improves, you can begin to add a slight undulation to your movement. As you bend your knees and bring your feet near your bottom, pull your hips forward. This movement increases your forward momentum and thrust; it also creates an undulation that gives your stroke increased power and speed.
Illegal Breaststroke Kick
In competitive swimming, the incorrect execution of the breaststroke kick results in the disqualification of the swimmer. Two errors in the breaststroke kick are most common: uneven timing and illegal movements. Uneven timing happens when your legs don't execute the breaststroke kick at exactly the same time --- for example, when the legs whip around at different speeds. Illegal movements include adding a flutter or dolphin kick to the breaststroke kick, most commonly at the end of the movement when the two legs are straight.
Doing Flutter Kick
Competitive swimmers perform the flutter kick during the front and back crawl; in competitive swimming, these strokes are called freestyle and backstroke. The execution of the kick is the same whether you are on your front or your back, although the method of practicing this kick in isolation --- without adding the arm movements --- is slightly different.
To practice flutter kick on your front, grab the top of a kickboard with two hands, so your arms are resting on the board and your chest is slightly out of the water. Alternate the movement of your legs, pushing one down and then the other. As the right foot presses down in the water, relax the left foot, allowing it to float to the surface; then, as the left foot presses down, relax the right foot, allowing it to rise. The feet will turn in slightly and should be relaxed at the ankle, not flexed. Keep the knees as straight as possible without locking the joint, keeping them relaxed.
To practice flutter kick on your back, hold a kickboard against your chest to help you float; discard the kickboard if you don't need assistance to float. Use the same movement --- pressing one foot down, then the other --- as on your front.
Perfecting the Flutter Kick
As your flutter kick improves, increase your speed. The faster you move your feet up and down in this alternating fashion, the faster you will move through the water. Speed relates to the frequency of your flutter kick, not the size of the movements. Competitive swimmers tend to use smaller, faster kicks to power themselves through the water rather than slower, larger kicks. A two-beat kick refers to a movement in which you perform two kicks --- one with each leg --- for every stroke of your arms; a four-beat kick features four leg kicks --- two with each leg --- for every arm stroke. A two-beat kick results in a slower movement through the water than a four-beat kick.
Disqualification due to the improper execution of the flutter kick during a backstroke or freestyle race does not exist in competitive swimming. A swimmer could even do a dolphin or breaststroke kick during a freestyle or backstroke race without being disqualified, although this could slow him down.
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