I'm something of a newbie to masters, though I've been swimming a long time. I have no kick, zero, nada. I have tried at masters swim workouts, but if I attempt to move down the lane using kick only, I float absolutely still in the water. If I kick a lot, I get cramps in feet and calfs. What to do???
Until I watch someone in a modern NCAA or Olympic championship final swim a 50, 100, 200, 400/500 with a dragging kick, I will continue to maintain that a strong kick should be the base of swimming fast for most people.
I’ll co-sign that sentiment.
EDIT: former breaststroker/butterflyer here and those strokes are definitely leg driven and the best way to strengthen legs is FR kick (with a board if you want more punishment, and LCM if you like doing laps around the 5th legs of Hell).
(But I don’t doubt your math on the FR kick for freestyle and it’s % of your propulsion, Glenn)
Until I watch someone in a modern NCAA or Olympic championship final swim a 50, 100, 200, 400/500 with a dragging kick, I will continue to maintain that a strong kick should be the base of swimming fast for most people.
I’ll co-sign that sentiment.
EDIT: former breaststroker/butterflyer here and those strokes are definitely leg driven and the best way to strengthen legs is FR kick (with a board if you want more punishment, and LCM if you like doing laps around the 5th legs of Hell).
(But I don’t doubt your math on the FR kick for freestyle and it’s % of your propulsion, Glenn)
