Walk onto any pool deck and you’ll spot two staples in nearly every swimmer’s mesh bag: a flat foam kickboard and a figure-eight pull buoy. They look simple, but each one trains a completely different half of your stroke — and using the wrong one for the wrong drill can waste a session or reinforce bad habits.
This guide breaks down exactly what each tool does, how to use it correctly, and how to fit both into a balanced training plan so you build a stronger kick and a more powerful pull without one compensating for the other.
Quick Answer
Use a kickboard to isolate your legs and drill kick technique — you hold it out front with straight or slightly bent arms while your legs do all the propulsion. Use a pull buoy to isolate your arms and upper-body pull — you squeeze it between your thighs so your legs float, letting you focus entirely on your stroke, catch, and core rotation without kicking.
What Each Tool Actually Does
A kickboard is a flat, buoyant board you hold in front of you, arms extended, while your legs kick behind you. Because your upper body is fully supported, all the propulsive work — and all the technical feedback — comes from your kick: ankle flexibility, kick amplitude, and hip-driven leg action. It’s useful for beginners learning to float and kick, and for competitive swimmers isolating leg strength and rhythm without their arms compensating.
A pull buoy is a foam float, shaped like a figure eight, that you place between your upper thighs (closer to your crotch than your knees). It lifts your hips and legs so they float behind you with little to no kicking, which removes leg propulsion from the equation entirely. That forces your arms, shoulders, lats, and core rotation to do all the work — making it the standard tool for isolating and strengthening your pull and stroke mechanics.
In short: kickboard = legs-only work, pull buoy = arms-only work. They’re opposites by design, which is exactly why swim coaches program both into a week’s training.
How to Use Each One Correctly
For the kickboard: grip the top edge lightly with hands about shoulder-width apart, keep your head in a neutral position (not craned up), and let your hips stay near the surface. Kick from the hips, not just the knees, and keep ankles relaxed so they can flex. If your legs sink or your board bounces up and down, that usually signals a kick that’s coming from the knees instead of the hips, or a body position that’s too vertical.
For the pull buoy: place it between your upper thighs and squeeze gently to hold it in place — your legs don’t need to be rigid, and a little relaxed drift is fine. Focus on a strong catch at the front of the stroke, a high elbow through the pull, and finishing the stroke past your hip. Many swimmers pair the pull buoy with a swim snorkel to remove breathing rotation from the equation, or with paddles to add resistance once technique is solid — but add paddles only after the base stroke is clean, since paddles amplify existing habits, good or bad.
A practical rule coaches use: reserve pull-buoy sets for one or two sessions a week rather than every swim. Used too often, it can mask weaknesses in body position and kick timing that only show up when you’re swimming full stroke.
Tips / Common Mistakes
Don’t let the pull buoy become a crutch — if you notice your hips sink the moment you take it out, that’s a sign you’re leaning on it too much instead of building real core and body-position control. Balance pull-buoy sets with plenty of full-stroke swimming so the isolated gains actually transfer.
On the kickboard, avoid over-arching your lower back or lifting your head too high to breathe — both flatten your body position and make the kick less efficient. Keep the board low in the water and let your legs, not your arms, generate the pressure against it.
Match the tool to the goal: use a kickboard when you want to build leg strength, ankle flexibility, or kick rhythm; use a pull buoy when you want to build pulling strength, stroke mechanics, or upper-body endurance. Mixing both into the same set (kickboard on one length, pull buoy the next) is a common and effective way to structure a technique-focused practice.
Explore more: More swimming training guides.
Kickboard vs Pull Buoy FAQs
Can beginners use a pull buoy?
Yes, though it’s often introduced after a swimmer is comfortable floating and kicking. A pull buoy is a great way for newer swimmers to feel proper hip and body position in the water without worrying about kicking at the same time.
Should I use a pull buoy with paddles or a snorkel?
Both are common pairings. A snorkel removes the need to rotate for breathing so you can focus purely on arm mechanics, while paddles add resistance to build pulling strength — but only add paddles once your stroke technique is solid, since they’ll exaggerate any existing flaws.
How often should I train with a kickboard or pull buoy?
Most coaches suggest working both into your routine a couple of times a week each, rather than relying on either every session. The goal is to isolate and strengthen specific parts of your stroke, then reinforce that improvement in full-stroke swimming.
Will a kickboard slow down my kick technique for racing?
Not if used correctly. Kickboard drills that emphasize hip-driven kicking and a streamlined body position reinforce race-relevant mechanics. Problems only arise if the kick is done with poor form, like kicking from the knees or arching the back.
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Photo by Gentrit Sylejmani on Unsplash.