RE: Hip driven 6BK - Determined to get this done properly

Former Member — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 15:19:45 GMT

I think it is a bit of a black art in Freestyle - the hooking up of the pull to the kick or vice versa . It's a real dance that effectively chains or connects your forward palm right through the core to the opposite top of foot. Every world class swimmer does this but it's really hard to "see" because all limbs are in motion. BS and Fly are more obvious because arms and legs act together. If you are wetsuit swimmer it's a bit like being on a surfboard, so the effect of the kick is slightly diminished. So maybe that is where the kick advice comes from. But you know with proper timing the kick works so much better on it's own it's amazing. In Freestyle we actually skate on or work "twin keels" if you know that from boats. So we rotate from left keel, up and over to the right keel. It's skating on these keel center lines, that creates efficiency and movement through the water. Way better than swimming flat! PS: Shot some video of the new stroke this am, having fun with it kicking my heels high. Finally looking like a kick should look. Amped up for a sprint test, felt pretty great in there too.https://youtu.be/tMBIenRJhnI

RE: Hip driven 6BK - Determined to get this done properly

Swimspire — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 10:23:37 GMT

Hi Shark, welcome to the forum! I think it's great that you are focusing on the kick. There are so many debates on whether the kick is even necessary - some even encourage their swimmers not to "waste time developing your kick" if you haven't been a lifelong competitive swimmer. Unfortunately, this is complete nonsense and kicking is far from overrated. You can use your legs strategically for balance and for propulsion if you master an efficient kick. This is what I would recommend you focus on: your efficiency. Make sure that your kicking technique is sound, so that you are making the most out of the power of your legs. Sometimes it is better to have an efficient 2-4 beat kick than an inefficient 6-beat kick! You may also benefit from a second opinion - a coach who can actually watch you from the deck (or on video), and let you know what your weak points are. Good luck!