Hi guys...I've read that the ankle flexibility (plantar flexion? pardon the spelling) is very important in flutter kick, as they can mean the difference with a kick with or without propulsive force... My question is, to get my feet to an angle that has some propulsive force I have to "force it slightly", as in it's obviously not my natural feet position. Therefore, do I intentionally "point my toes" when i am doing the down kick of the flutter kick? Or should I just relax the ankle during the entire kicking phase?
Thanks for any response!
Parents
Former Member
If you intentionally 'point the toes' throughout a workout ' like a ballerina' then you will likely end up with calf cramps.
You are right to keep the feet basically relaxed. One tip that increases the "effective" angle of your fore-foot against the water is to "pigeon toe". This is where you kick with the focus of your big toes almost brushing against each other. This will "add" a few degrees of plantar-flexion to your feet.
On top of that, in the water you can wear fins. These will help to stretch your ankles. Out of the pool, you can stretch your ankles by a number of ways.
Kneel on your feet and gently rock back to feel a stretch. Put feet under a couch and gently straighten your leg. Hold the stretch for up to 90 seconds for each foot. Two or three times each leg every other day. This works better if you warm up the muscles, after a bath or by soaking in hot water first.
If you intentionally 'point the toes' throughout a workout ' like a ballerina' then you will likely end up with calf cramps.
You are right to keep the feet basically relaxed. One tip that increases the "effective" angle of your fore-foot against the water is to "pigeon toe". This is where you kick with the focus of your big toes almost brushing against each other. This will "add" a few degrees of plantar-flexion to your feet.
On top of that, in the water you can wear fins. These will help to stretch your ankles. Out of the pool, you can stretch your ankles by a number of ways.
Kneel on your feet and gently rock back to feel a stretch. Put feet under a couch and gently straighten your leg. Hold the stretch for up to 90 seconds for each foot. Two or three times each leg every other day. This works better if you warm up the muscles, after a bath or by soaking in hot water first.
