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???
...I want sub 6min 400m by the end of this year. What % of importance is the "kick"? Does it merely stabilize me? Some comments in this thread regarding some world-class swimmers dragging their feet for most of a 1500m gives me some (false?) hope.
Thanks for any imput you may provide.
Out of curiosity, are you faster or slower with a pullbouy versus swimming?
Yikes....I don't know. I never use "toys". :)
Sheesh....is it possible that I am faster if I do NOTHING with my legs/feet? I feel like I am stabilizing myself with whatever it is that I do.
And thanks, JPEnge.
To me, the longer the distance, the less the kick matters except in the end of a race. For sprinters, the kick means a ton. It's good to have enough kick to keep your legs up and in alignment with the rest of your body so they don't drag. You might have to press your chest down a bit more in the water to get them to lift up some (think of a teeter totter).
JP is right though, if you're a runner, you probably have stiff ankles. This video shows a good stretch you can do (with or without a roller) every night for a bit as you're watching TV or something. www.youtube.com/watch Over time it can help.
Thanks everyone! I'm going to time them today and figure it out.
As an answer to one reply regarding the other students not giving their all for kicking drills... I do know that the coach has kick drills called "catch Mary (my daughter)", and it gets pretty competitive. They don't come close.
After reading many comments in this thread about ankle stretching, I believe the fact that she is extremely hypermobile due to a connective tissue disorder might come into play here as well.
I'll post the times later.
Again,
Thanks!
