I'm coming back into swimming after a 46 year break. Back in the dark ages distance freestylers used the 4 beat & cross kicking technique. What is the current kicking pattern used by most distance freestyle swimmers?
yes and convicted druggie and current WR holder Sun Yang does a 6beat almost catchup stroke.
of the 2 americans that have won the gold at 1500m...Brian Goodell was a 2beat and Mike O'brien changed to a 4-6beat after being a 2beat.
and to add to that Tiffany Cohen was a 2beat in the 800m and more 4-6 in the 400m for her 2 golds.
i am pretty sure the same can be said about Janet Evans.
as PWB said, it is highly personal.
What is the current kicking pattern used by most distance freestyle swimmers?This is highly individualized even at the elite level. For example, if you watch any videos of Gregorio Paltrinieri, the Olympic 1500 champion, he barely does a light 2-beat, whereas Katie Ledecky seems to vary throughout the race from on occasional 2-beat up to an aggressive 6 beat. I've experimented with these over the years and have found the 2-beat works best for me for longer swims (800/1000 and up), but I can manage a little more leg-action during the 400/500.
Thanks for the replies. I've switched over to a 2 beat & cross. I seem to get more out of it. It's definitely more tiring than my old 4 beat and cross. We'll see how it goes.
Thanks for the replies. I've switched over to a 2 beat & cross. I seem to get more out of it. It's definitely more tiring than my old 4 beat and cross. We'll see how it goes.
I remember consciously learning a 2-beat in my teens even though I was primarily a sprinter. I just wanted to see if I could learn it on longer sets. It took a couple of months before it felt more efficient. Now I mainly swim distance open water on use a 2-beat until I can see the finish line. Then I can't help it. 6-beat all the way.
