Tip of the Week: Getting Your Feet Tapped While Swimming

June 1 , 2009

Ever get really annoyed when someone behind you is tapping your feet with their hands?  The worst thing you can do in these cases is kick.  It might be frustrating, but the best thing you can do is let your legs go limp.  You might think that a wall of white water will look menacing and scary enough to ward off anyone behind you.  But what you are actually doing is making it easier for your competitors to find you!  That is because white water (and lots of it) is visible in almost any water situation, regardless of clarity.  But if you stop kicking, it makes it much harder to see you.  If you are getting your feet slapped and you are beside someone kicking like a madman, chances are the guy behind is going to leave you alone and follow the white water.  This is very effective if you are passing a slower competitor who kicks a lot.  The person behind will be instinctively drawn to the person beside you, and may not realize they have lost you until you have left them in the dust.  When you are sure you are no longer the donkey (no longer getting your feet slapped), you can resume kicking as normal.

View previous swimming tips.