I have spent the last 20+ years with a 2 beat rotational kick, hip driven freestyle focusing on middle and ultra distance events(half and full iron). Fast twitch kid and ran the 100/200 and 100 hurdles in high school. Now back in the pool I have come to embrace what fast twitch I have left and apparently have a knack for the sprints!
Doing tons of kick work to begin the never ending process of getting a powerful 6 beat kick. It's pretty lame at the moment. Working on keeping my hips a little flatter and using that as my platform for a powerful flutter. My issue is that I seem to lose my balance and downhill feeling that is so ingrained with my 2 beat rotational kick once I focus on the 6 beat flutter. To fully engage my 6 beat it's feels like I need to let my legs sink a little bit which just seems wrong. When I do that I feel all that extra drag build up immediately and it's a momentum killer. I'm used to having my bum slightly breach the water with my hip driven stroke. Not able to do that successfully yet with my 6 beat. Ideas or thoughts on what I might be doing wrong or is this just how the 6 beat feels when amping it up for 50/100?
I was given a suggestion today by a really fast sprinter from a local club team to kind of squeeze my bum a little bit and kick even more compact than I am. Didn't really get the hang of it, but open to idea on what I might want to focus on with this new kick journey I'm on. Thanks.
Sounds like you're saying that faster kicking/6-beat is less straight-leg than 2-beat? Didn't know that - will check that out.
Yea don't take my word as gospel, just try it an if it works for you great, if not pitch it! On both kicks the upbeat is definitely a straight leg. Downbeat is where it's different for me. 2 beat I keep them straight it's purely rotational generating. 6 beat flutter I'm actually getting some propulsion and I relent to the water a bit and have slight knee bend with relaxed ankles. GoSwim did a nice video on straight or 'straighter' leg kick not long ago that detailed it nicely.
Sounds like you're saying that faster kicking/6-beat is less straight-leg than 2-beat? Didn't know that - will check that out.
Yea don't take my word as gospel, just try it an if it works for you great, if not pitch it! On both kicks the upbeat is definitely a straight leg. Downbeat is where it's different for me. 2 beat I keep them straight it's purely rotational generating. 6 beat flutter I'm actually getting some propulsion and I relent to the water a bit and have slight knee bend with relaxed ankles. GoSwim did a nice video on straight or 'straighter' leg kick not long ago that detailed it nicely.
