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.
I never hear anything about 4-beat - only 2- and 6-beat. Is there a specific reason for this? I assume that when I kick faster, I go from 2 to 4, but honestly never really counted.
Didn't Jonty Skinner accomplish his world record 100 free with a two -beat or 2 - beat crossover?
I read the 2 crossover is ideal for lean swimmers that sink easily
I can actually sprint very close to my peak speed using a 2- beat, maybe several 10ths slower for a 25. And I might even try the 2- beat in my next 100 fr race just for fun. Interestingly, I'm slightly faster doing dolphin kick free than with a 6-beat, but 25m is about the limit.
I'm not certain on that, but anything is possible. I'd say this was pretty much true for me until I learned how to use my glutes as a source of power though. Every single swim I get a bit stronger and faster. Knocked down my 50m free best again last night by .8! At the end of the day I will end up with a 6 beat for 100 or less and anything more gets my trusty 2.
Congratulations on a near second time drop!
The 6-beat is just slightly faster, but it is faster nonetheless and mandatory for a 50. For distance swimming, like 100 and up, I will use the 2beat for most of it.
Congratulations on a near second time drop!
The 6-beat is just slightly faster, but it is faster nonetheless and mandatory for a 50. For distance swimming, like 100 and up, I will use the 2beat for most of it.
Thanks! I'm not sure that is all kick improvement as I'm still learning a lot about starts and cleaning them up, but I can certainly see a drop in my kick set times and things feel better on shorter harder stuff. Clock says so too.
Interesting to hear you say that about 100 b/c when I look at where my 6 beat drops off and I think ok, I can either start with a 6 and ride it until it dies an finish with a 2? Start with a 2 and go 50 and finish 6 beat 50? Or a 2 all the way. Still have a long way to go b/f I get my kick fitness to where it's an honest assessment, but I don't envision ever using a 6 beat for anything over 100 that's for sure.
Modern distance swimmers have become great kickers. Hacket coming to mind. I read Larsen Jensen kicks a 50 LCM in 30. I think going to six beat kick you loose some efficiency in trade off for outright speed. I think you may be feeling this. I know some swimmers can now six beat kick an entire 500 and some will do it for the 1000....amazing.
I've been around, just busy. I started assistant coaching USS team a few years ago. Best thing I ever did. I ran masters until I was 42. Did up to the 400. The running was very hard on me, back, tendons, sports hernia. I find swimming more agreeable to my body.
This video does a good job showing which muscle groups need to be activated in order to maintain a horizontal kick. Also includes some excellent fashion ideas.
www.youtube.com/watch
