Last week, I blundered upon a kick set that proved to be fun and challenging for the likes of me, that is to say, a fellow with pretty piss-poor SDKs.
The idea behind the set was to gradually build up my dolphin kicking capacity by starting out with all flutter kick and 0 dolphin kicks per length, then adding (1) dolphin kick off each wall per 50, then (2) per length per 50, then (3) per wall per 50, and so on, till I was kicking the whole thing butterfly.
This happened at the 1450 yard mark. By this point, I'd gradually worked my way up to 30 dolphin kicks (and 0 flutter kicks) per 25 to finish a set that ultimately proved 1500 yards of kicking.
I wrote about this blundering set and its aftermath two days later on my abdominal muscles in my most recent vlog entry here forums.usms.org/blog.php
Taking 30 dolphin kicks per 25, I realize, sounds pretty godawful to the natural cetaceans in our midst. Anyhow, a couple vlog readers wondered what the average number required is, so I thought I would conduct a poll.
This isn't an ordinary poll--I don't want responders to answer off the top of their heads. Rather, the next time you at practice, do this experiment and report back your actual findings.
1. Use a kick board
2. Do not use fins.
3. Conduct this experiment in a 25 yard course for consistency of replies.
4. Kick butterfly for an entire 50 without stopping. Count the number of total number of kicks you take. (I know you would take less doing actual SDKs without a board, but for this particular poll, please do it with a board on the surface.)
In my case, it took me 30 dolphin kicks down, and 30 dolphin kicks back, for the unremarkable score of 60. Please do not ask me what my time was, because I am sure it was over a minute.
And PLEASE only respond after you're tried this--do NOT go from memory or approximate what you think you should or could do. I want an accurate count!
Note: one last thing--just kick as normally as you can kick butterfly (which in my case is not that normal). No need to try for some record by gliding as far as possible after each kick; neither should you feel obligated to do millions of tiny whip like kicks, as if in imitation of your father's contribution to your begetting.
Just do it normally, or as normally as you can. I want to get an idea of what the range is.
Thanks!
I rarely do things I'm not interested in. I already let myself be talked into a 225 monofin for time. That should hold me for a long while.
Leslie, please do not consider this a snippy retort, but if the World Record holder in the 50 butterfly can't kick a single 50 butterfly with a board and without fins, what is this world coming to?
I am not asking you to sprint it or to try to set some sort of "fewest kicks per 50" record. Just kick a normal 50 fly with a board and no fins and count your kicks so that I can get some sort of data on what the range here is.
I understand you sprinters have a different mentality. But I can't imagine that one 50 kicked at a moderate pace after you've fully warmed up--again, not for time! just to see how many kicks it takes--is going to damage you in anyway! You have no history of herniated back disks! When you swim fly, your arms attack the water from positions much more extreme than a single 50 on kickboard could hope to simulate. You are, I think, flirting with divahood here.
If Usain Bolt were to adopt such a diva mentality, I can imagine him riding a Rascal Mobility Scooter from the locker room to the track so as to not tire his legs out or risk an ankle injury by sauntering across pavement cracks!
You can do it, Leslie!
And get Pete and Jazzhands to do it, too.
Thanks, and good day!
I rarely do things I'm not interested in. I already let myself be talked into a 225 monofin for time. That should hold me for a long while.
Leslie, please do not consider this a snippy retort, but if the World Record holder in the 50 butterfly can't kick a single 50 butterfly with a board and without fins, what is this world coming to?
I am not asking you to sprint it or to try to set some sort of "fewest kicks per 50" record. Just kick a normal 50 fly with a board and no fins and count your kicks so that I can get some sort of data on what the range here is.
I understand you sprinters have a different mentality. But I can't imagine that one 50 kicked at a moderate pace after you've fully warmed up--again, not for time! just to see how many kicks it takes--is going to damage you in anyway! You have no history of herniated back disks! When you swim fly, your arms attack the water from positions much more extreme than a single 50 on kickboard could hope to simulate. You are, I think, flirting with divahood here.
If Usain Bolt were to adopt such a diva mentality, I can imagine him riding a Rascal Mobility Scooter from the locker room to the track so as to not tire his legs out or risk an ankle injury by sauntering across pavement cracks!
You can do it, Leslie!
And get Pete and Jazzhands to do it, too.
Thanks, and good day!
