Hi everyone,
I have spent the last 13 months taking swimming lessons twice per week and practicing at my gym's pool almost daily, but I'm still having trouble. I'm hoping I can get some pointers that might help.
I've been lifting weights for about 20 years now and have pretty muscular legs. And they just don't seem to want to float. I can kick hard to get them to float, but then, I can barely swim freestyle halfway across the pool because I get so out of breath. I have had a lot of trouble learning to breathe, but lately, it has been getting better. I still don't think I'm getting full breaths in, but at least I'm not swallowing water every time I try to breathe anymore.
Anyway, my swimming instructors have been saying that my technique looks great; they haven't been able to offer any tweaks to help me over the past couple of months. But I still can't swim across the pool. I just don't see how I can kick as hard/fast as I seem to have to - just to stay on top of the water - and only inhale every 3-4 arm strokes.
It is starting to get pretty frustrating. Have you run into this yourself? Is there anything you can recommend that might help me?
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
Hi everyone,
I have spent the last 13 months taking swimming lessons twice per week and practicing at my gym's pool almost daily, but I'm still having trouble. I'm hoping I can get some pointers that might help.
I've been lifting weights for about 20 years now and have pretty muscular legs. And they just don't seem to want to float. I can kick hard to get them to float, but then, I can barely swim freestyle halfway across the pool because I get so out of breath. I have had a lot of trouble learning to breathe, but lately, it has been getting better. I still don't think I'm getting full breaths in, but at least I'm not swallowing water every time I try to breathe anymore.
Anyway, my swimming instructors have been saying that my technique looks great; they haven't been able to offer any tweaks to help me over the past couple of months. But I still can't swim across the pool. I just don't see how I can kick as hard/fast as I seem to have to - just to stay on top of the water - and only inhale every 3-4 arm strokes.
It is starting to get pretty frustrating. Have you run into this yourself? Is there anything you can recommend that might help me?
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
How are you using your kick for sprinting or distance:
Leg Action/Rotation:
Leg action for a distance and a sprinter swimmer will be very different. A distance swimmer will typically use a single kick per arm stoke pattern. The kick is a quick action that takes place at the instance the same hand finishes the arm stoke and is used to both propel and rotate the body on to the other side while the recovering arm extends to initiate the next glide.
A sprinter wants a fast kick that is coordinated with the arm stroke so as to complement and reinforce the frequency of the arms. A 6 beat per arm cycle or a 3 beat per arm stroke is a good place to begin when wanting to develop this type of kicking pattern. This kicking pattern will provide 2 kicks of propulsion and 1 kick to rotate the body.
An important point to remember in developing your kick is that the finishing arm and the same leg snap at the same time in both distance swimming and sprinting.
To develop your kick consider the following:
KICKING:
Flutter kicking is a snap of the quadriceps. The knee remains flexible while the pointed ankle and foot remains quite rigid. A rigid ankle with pointed toes will allow for a more efficient transfer of energy from one leg to the other. This snap is followed immediately by a pulling of the glutenous. Repeat in alternating fashion.
Coordinated kick for distance swimmers:
One kick per stroke, 2 kicks per cycle
Use a pull buoy and fins and observe the natural action of the legs as they “follow the arms” through the stroke. Emphasize this general feeling by kicking the fin that is on the same side as the arm that finishes a stroke. Swimmers should allow one kick at the finish of the first pull, one kick at the finish of the second pull of the cycle.
Coordinated kick for sprinters:
3 kicks per stroke, 6 kicks per cycle
Swim backstroke and observe the natural 6 beat kick per cycle that backstroke uses.
Apply that 6 beat kick to swimming freestyle. Start by adding a 6 beat kick while going into and out from the walls then extend the number of cycles you can maintain a 6 beat kick off the walls and start.
Excerpts from my freestyle clinic reading materials
Hope this helps,
Coach Andrew
Hi everyone,
I have spent the last 13 months taking swimming lessons twice per week and practicing at my gym's pool almost daily, but I'm still having trouble. I'm hoping I can get some pointers that might help.
I've been lifting weights for about 20 years now and have pretty muscular legs. And they just don't seem to want to float. I can kick hard to get them to float, but then, I can barely swim freestyle halfway across the pool because I get so out of breath. I have had a lot of trouble learning to breathe, but lately, it has been getting better. I still don't think I'm getting full breaths in, but at least I'm not swallowing water every time I try to breathe anymore.
Anyway, my swimming instructors have been saying that my technique looks great; they haven't been able to offer any tweaks to help me over the past couple of months. But I still can't swim across the pool. I just don't see how I can kick as hard/fast as I seem to have to - just to stay on top of the water - and only inhale every 3-4 arm strokes.
It is starting to get pretty frustrating. Have you run into this yourself? Is there anything you can recommend that might help me?
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
How are you using your kick for sprinting or distance:
Leg Action/Rotation:
Leg action for a distance and a sprinter swimmer will be very different. A distance swimmer will typically use a single kick per arm stoke pattern. The kick is a quick action that takes place at the instance the same hand finishes the arm stoke and is used to both propel and rotate the body on to the other side while the recovering arm extends to initiate the next glide.
A sprinter wants a fast kick that is coordinated with the arm stroke so as to complement and reinforce the frequency of the arms. A 6 beat per arm cycle or a 3 beat per arm stroke is a good place to begin when wanting to develop this type of kicking pattern. This kicking pattern will provide 2 kicks of propulsion and 1 kick to rotate the body.
An important point to remember in developing your kick is that the finishing arm and the same leg snap at the same time in both distance swimming and sprinting.
To develop your kick consider the following:
KICKING:
Flutter kicking is a snap of the quadriceps. The knee remains flexible while the pointed ankle and foot remains quite rigid. A rigid ankle with pointed toes will allow for a more efficient transfer of energy from one leg to the other. This snap is followed immediately by a pulling of the glutenous. Repeat in alternating fashion.
Coordinated kick for distance swimmers:
One kick per stroke, 2 kicks per cycle
Use a pull buoy and fins and observe the natural action of the legs as they “follow the arms” through the stroke. Emphasize this general feeling by kicking the fin that is on the same side as the arm that finishes a stroke. Swimmers should allow one kick at the finish of the first pull, one kick at the finish of the second pull of the cycle.
Coordinated kick for sprinters:
3 kicks per stroke, 6 kicks per cycle
Swim backstroke and observe the natural 6 beat kick per cycle that backstroke uses.
Apply that 6 beat kick to swimming freestyle. Start by adding a 6 beat kick while going into and out from the walls then extend the number of cycles you can maintain a 6 beat kick off the walls and start.
Excerpts from my freestyle clinic reading materials
Hope this helps,
Coach Andrew
