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
Former Member
Lisa:
Using a kickboard puts you in a very "uphill" position - much like swimming unbalanced. So you'll be using at least some of that kick to keep your hips up. Worse, you'll be reinforcing the HABIT of hip-lift kicking rather than propulsive kicking.
In our program we only use kickboards to prop the doors open. ALL of our kicking is done with no board. This teaches and reinforces propulsive kicking rather than hip-lift kicking.
gmgdc:
The FIRST thing to do in fixing your kick is FIX THE BALANCE. Only then will kicking options be practical.
Then, lose the kickboard. Do vertical kicking and lots of side-glide kicking (but only if it is well-balanced - hip AT the surface, not below it, not even a bit). Both help to teach your neuromuscular system what it means to kick in a straight line rather than uphill.
With no styro virus AND no kickboard in your toy bag, your life will be simpler now. :)
Also consider that kicking for motorboat-style propulsion costs WAY more energy than getting that propulsion from transmitting core body rotation to propulsion through your arms. The MOST effective use of your legs will always be to initiate body roll. That's the way to transmit leg efforts into the greatest amount of propulsion. Flutter kicking for motorboat-style propulsion will always yield less GO per calorie expended.So whether or not, and how much, to kick should be weighed against how much energy you can afford to use for the particular task at hand. The Bottom Up Swimming series of articles on my http://.h2oustonswims.org site goes into greater detail on this.
I use the kickboard as a place to put my practice and focal points. Write in ballpoint pen what you want on a piece of paper, wet it and put it on the kickboard. It will stick. Then I use a pullbuoy to prop it up on the side of the pool.
I know kickboards are unpopular with 'technique coaches,' but I can think of two reasons to use them:
1) I can work my legs much harder when I don't have to worry about breathing. Non-kickboard breathing puts my mouth in a very risky position for choking, particularly when the water is rough. Is vertical kicking really a substitute, especially when times to complete a distance can by used to measure effectiveness of the kick, or progress in leg stamina?
2) Kickboards aid in socialization on easy kicking sets.
Finally, is this 'no-kickboard ever' advice also for swimmers who already have reasonably good form? Is there some fatal stroke flaw that will be introduced by occasional use?
You can measure leg stamina and effectiveness of kicking by vertical kicking. Just make it more difficult--take your arms out of the water and see how long you can kick and keep your head above. Get that diving brick that is being used as a doorstop and hold on to it and kick away. Use it on all kicks for the stroke. I think you can socialize while vertical kicking. The true test of leg stamina is to do vertical kicking with your arms in an overhead streamline AND carry on a conversation with someone.
We who don't use kickboards kick in a side lying position and have no problem breathing.
