Video link shows I have this crazy scissor kick, it is only when I swim. When I kick only, the kick is more normal. Please look at the video and help me. It is a 50 yd swim but I pause at 25 yds. So please view both angles.
I thought I was more streamlined. Good grief, I was wrong. Anyway, here I am swimming slow after a lifting session.
My kicking is disgusting. My legs are all over the place. Too much bend in the knees. Hips too low. Maybe too much hip rotation. Definitely too much rotation when breathing. Grrr. Hands aren't relaxed. I thought I was reaching on my front end stroke but that is not the case either. What is my real problem? How can I fix it fast? I can't feel what I am doing wrong. I would love some drills.
The good news is it looks like room for lots of improvement.
Ande and Fortress, I have been reading all your tips and blogs and practicing. So I would love to hear from you too.
.March32012fs - YouTube
Former Member
Heres a video to help fix your kicking: http://youtu.be/DgZ5-oatDg8
Although there are some basic tips, the one that helped me out the most was the "snapping" motion.
Former Member
try bending your elbows more on recovery; it will help your rotation as well as getting the stroking arm to reach out to the catch more.
You withdraw your hand just past your waist at the bottom of the stroke. finish your stroke with a "duck flip" push of your hand underneath your rotating thigh.
I think two drills would help you:
1) zipper drill: with the recovery elbow as high as possible, trail your recovery fingers along the top of the water, like you were zipping a zipper.
2) to stretch out your stoke, swim three strokes, then kick for 6 kicks with your arms stretched at the top and bottom of the stroke. Take another 3 strokes and stretch out on the other side. Really focus on stretching the stroke and finding the balance on the x-axis of your body: if you are truly balanced, the hand at the top of the stroke will be still, not wobbling all over the place.
good luck!
Former Member
Thanks for these replies.
I should add, I am practicing Ande's challenge from the Help My Flutter Kick thread. It works for me in some ways. The kick only times in my 25 have dropped, I've gone under 15 a couple of times. When I first started I was killing myself to get to 20. I found that 5 seconds in 1 month.
But...when I introduce swimming to the kick, it gets a little crazy. Also, the faster I go, the less crazy my legs are...so...I think the problem is a balance issue and maybe also a breathing problem. Mostly balance. Obviously balance is easier at higher speeds.
So I appreciate those drills mentioned above about balance. I did zipper last Wed and Thurs night and it helped. In case you want to see the improvement, just look at the other two videos I posted on YouTube (just get there from the link and go to my channel name-droppedtime).
