Tried an interesting set tonight... did 10 50 frees on 45 seconds without kicking, just pulling.
I've always been a poor freestyle kicker, but I didn't expect the following result... I was going just as fast as I would be WITH a kick for that rate of turnover (35/34s), but with much less effort.
I found myself doing a bit more body rotation, I felt greater connectivity from my arms all the way down to my toes. I also found myself doing a deep straightarm catch (as opposed to my usual high elbow with the elbow withing a couple inches of the surface)... wasn't really trying to do something different, it just happened and I went with it.
Has anyone else had a similar experience when they removed their kick from their freestyle? Does anyone have any idea about how to train my kick so it can contribute more effectively?
I have a hunch that my kick may actually be counterproductive when I get tired, in that it doesn't help me go forward or gives a very poor return for the effort I put in... so maybe learning to freestyle kick in a way that syncs with my body rotation would be a way to start. (Not sure how to do that though, so ideas for learning rotation rhythm would be welcomed too.)
Thanks in advance!
That said, the legs are not as efficient at translating force into forward movement...
Really? My underwater dolphin kick is about as fast as my sprint freestyle.
If you're using your legs just for balance, you're missing out on an opportunity to swim faster. Now if there is a physical issue, e.g., inflexible ankles, then that's more of a problem, though you can work on ankle flexibility.
That said, the legs are not as efficient at translating force into forward movement...
Really? My underwater dolphin kick is about as fast as my sprint freestyle.
If you're using your legs just for balance, you're missing out on an opportunity to swim faster. Now if there is a physical issue, e.g., inflexible ankles, then that's more of a problem, though you can work on ankle flexibility.
