I've been swimming all my life, but never proper strokes. Recently I've begun learning the correct strokes but I'm having trouble with my crawl stroke. I watch other swimmers go back and forth flip turning as they come to end. I can't do more than 50 yards before I'm completely out of breath. I know I'm in better shape than that because I can swim breaststroke back and forth just fine, so I assume I'm not breathing correctly. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can breathe better and how to have enough air after the flip turn to continue?
Also, I feel like I don't go anywhere when I kick unless I have fins (I have the blue zoomers). Any suggestions for improving the crawl kick? I kick across the pool, but I go v e r y slow.
Feeling a little discouraged... :(
Thanks for any advice you guys have got!
Lisa
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by emmett
If you find that a pull buoy (the styro-virus kind) allows you to move with significantly greater ease, then you are likely using your kick PRIMARILY for keeping your hips up when you swim.
I have noticed this. And as soon as I began to notice it and adjust my position so that my hips stayed up without kicking, my kick (and my stroke) improved. When kicking on a kickboard though, I have a hard time. Interestingly, I don't seem to have a problem with the butterfly kick (or breastroke), only the crawl.
One more question: I see others kicking on the kick board and they do a lot of splashing above the water, but when they swim, they kick normally. Is there a reason for the difference?
Lisa
Originally posted by emmett
If you find that a pull buoy (the styro-virus kind) allows you to move with significantly greater ease, then you are likely using your kick PRIMARILY for keeping your hips up when you swim.
I have noticed this. And as soon as I began to notice it and adjust my position so that my hips stayed up without kicking, my kick (and my stroke) improved. When kicking on a kickboard though, I have a hard time. Interestingly, I don't seem to have a problem with the butterfly kick (or breastroke), only the crawl.
One more question: I see others kicking on the kick board and they do a lot of splashing above the water, but when they swim, they kick normally. Is there a reason for the difference?
Lisa
