I read this from S. Freas "Sprinting..." article. Look...
Freas' Ten Essentials of Sprinting
7. Execute a high kick with the heels nine to fifteen inches out of the water. This gives better body position.
I cant understand if my heels are out of the water nine to fifteen inches what I must kick water .. or air???
Can anyone explain me how such kick works?
I have read the whole book and it's very interesting to say the least. He has had some success with his approach. You can find his email address at the International Hall of Fame web site.
Ditto, my coach screamed at us if he saw any kind of rooster tail when we kicked. Said that if we waned to kick air to get out and kick on the deck. He was a little crazy.
:D
Kelli,
Same here -- "kicking air," i.e., breaking the surface, is one of my coach's prime no-no's (as well as just about every other coach I've ever known). Of course, breaking the surface slightly may be unavoidable when sprinting, but nine to fifteen inches means your whole foot would be out of the water (unless you have size 17 feet, like Ian Thorpe :D ). I've never seen anyone do that. I wonder if this is an old article.
Sam has always been unconventional and I'm pretty sure he readily admits it. Read his whole book on sprinting and you'll get a better idea. He would ask your coaches how many sub 20.00
50 freestylers have they ever coached. I'm pretty sure at one point he had coached more than any other coach, ever. Does that mean he's right?
Originally posted by NCSwimmer
Sam has always been unconventional and I'm pretty sure he readily admits it. Read his whole book on sprinting and you'll get a better idea. He would ask your coaches how many sub 20.00
50 freestylers have they ever coached. I'm pretty sure at one point he had coached more than any other coach, ever. Does that mean he's right?
I haven't read the whole book (cause I dont have it :( ), but I have read some parts form that book. Sure there isn't ONLY_ONE_RIGHT_SWIM_TECHNIQUE. Different coaches, different swimmers, different approaches...
I always try different swim techniques to find my best, but here I can't understand Sam's logic, and I think I need Sam's email here ;)))
to KenChertoff: Sprinting: A Coach's Challenge by Samuel James Freas. Publisher: Intl Swimming Hall of Fame; (June 1998).
-Not too old yes?
Although I haven't read anything by this coach, it seems like it wouldn't make for better body position...but as all of you have said, he has coached many fast swimmers. For myself, I have adopted the total immersion technique and have noticed a huge change in body position and speed. Has anyone else had success with total immerson?
I haven't seen the book but my guess would be that the feet are coming out of the water because of a powerful upwards portion of the kick and not because of some special virtue due to kicking the feet out of the water. That is, the feet position is a result and not a goal in itself.
Swim fast,
Greg
may i ask a rather naive question? (being new back to swimming, bear with me...) is the concept, when sprinting, to not break the surface with your feet at all? wouldn't that affect body position, and be a little awkward?
