In 200 fly SDK saves me a few strokes every turn!:applaud:
I couldn't even imagine doing a 200 fly, but for a 25 fly (as part of 100 IM), between the start and 8 or so SDK's, I only have to do 3-4 actual strokes of fly. :applaud:
I wasn't a fan at first either, and could barely do any. I think 4-5 years ago I started to work 1 for each turn of freestyle. When I swam the 1500 LCM this past summer, I did at least 3 off of every wall.
One thing that I learned a while back was that my SDK was not as fast as my fly or free but faster than my backstroke by far. My SDK have greatly improved over the last few months by practicing them and they are now about as fast as my normal swim when i timed my SDK for a 25. One thing that helped me improve was that I decided to SDK off every wall at every practice unless it was *** stroke. Now when I do it, I’m underwater and I’m watching people swim beside me while I am still kicking, Especially on SDK on my back.
As for kicking off the wall faster than swimming, I don’t think that really tells you how fast your SDK is. For example, I can just launch myself off the wall in a streamline to the 7ishmark and pretty much stay with the person next to me and most people don’t really go way out to the 10 or 15 that often. I think that you have to time yourself doing SDK per 25 and look at the variations in time per 5 yards or meters.
I think what slows most people down is that when they try to do SDK, they haven’t practiced it and aren't doing it correctly and are really just creating drag, maybe they just don't have the needed core strength, or their feet aren't flexible enough or large enough to provide any kicking momentum.
In 200 fly SDK saves me a few strokes every turn!:applaud:
Now we're onto something. Even though very few can kick faster than they swim, the upper body gets a few extra seconds of rest on each turn.
This is a great question...
It's a good one to ask a swimming buddy while you are in practice or at a meet of yourself - if you don't like their answer to it, then keep working at it.
Ande has great info here and here - especially post #10.
I like that post about momentum. It does make sense that a few kicks can add to your speed off the wall - cumulative velocity, also getting a touch more rest before dropping to swimming speed.
What got me thinking about this was a set I was doing with a high schooler last week. We were doing 100s scy on 1:10. He was killing me on the turns, turning faster, getting a better push, probably streamlining better and getting a lot more out of his first SDK. That got him a half body length off each wall. However, he was doing 2-3 SDK's I was doing one. In my first two arm strokes, I made up almost the entire gap every time. He was still kicking while I was swimming. Also, he may have been staying down too long. We were talking about it after the set and the coach mentioned to the kid that his first stroke off the walls was clearly focused on a big desperate breath instead of propulsion.
I have been working on my SDK's for about 14 mos--much more now though than then. In my last big meet it hit me like a ton of bricks when swimmers on either side of me were still underwater kicking after I had taken two strokes and they were ahead of me! Those with the big kicks off the walls have a tendency to win.
Do you kick faster than you swim? If not, you're wasting your time down there off every wall.
Its not entirely this black and white. When I am using SDK on my starts and turns, it is not to create speed, it is to "maintain' the faster-than-swim-speed I am getting from the wall/block longer than would be possible by just breaking out immediately. As I push off from the wall, I am going faster than I swim. Within about say, 5-10 feet after full extension off the wall I've already slowed below swim race pace. If 3-4 dolphins off the wall will keep my velocity above swim race pace for an additional 5-10 feet, then its worth doing. Past that point though, theres no real reason to continue underwater because I've slowed down below swim race pace, so I should be breaking out by then.
This also does not apply if you have a weak push from the wall that doesn't accelerate you faster than swim race pace in the first place.
Ask yourself one question:
Do you kick faster than you swim?
If not, you're wasting your time down there off every wall.
Your one question approach is not that simple.
when you're underwater after diving or pushing off.
We streamline glide for a moment then we kick then we break out.
Racing is about pacing and energy management and figuring out the fastest and best way to race each race.
For many swimmers SDK is a weapon.
On turns it's smart to push off and kick under the currents and waves.
All swimmers should work to improve their flutter kick & SDK.
They should figure out how many kicks to do for each race or not.
Each person has a kick style and count sweet spot.
I've always said, train to improve your SDK, put in a good effort for months and years, don't give up after a short time, but if it's not as fast then do what is.
better questions might be:
What should I do at each point of my race?
what is the fastest way to swim my race?
Should I SDK or not?
If you suck at it, don't use it.
SDK is is one of the things that has transformed swimming.
It's what helped swimmers like michael phelps, ryan lochte, natalie coughlin, and many others continue to improve and swim faster than anyone ever has.
I notice that when I try to get in a few standard quick dolphin kicks I actually feel like I slow down, but when I do a couple of slower dolphins after a glide off the wall, it feels like I maintain speed better. Is it always faster to perform the 'rapid-fire' style SDK seen so often in swimming vids?
Perhaps I need to slowly work up to a quicker cadence?
