Does it help to have long legs?
Is it a hinderance?
Does it make any difference?
I keep wanting to revert into a whip kick.
:rolleyes: this one is gonna take a while.
Oh, yea, even when I do get the motion right, there is hardly any propulsion. I get much more out of a whip kick.
I think I'm still missing a muscle or two to pull it off.
It's so frustrating when something doesn't sink in. I know, I know, keep practicing and experimenting... and just like everything else, one day it will click.
Yeah, I'm very sore today. I suppose that means, I'll be growing muscle where I need it.
Parents
Former Member
What have you people done to my favorite stroke?:mad:
First dolphin-like rhythm has nothing to do with how the kick is performed.
The frog kick is what coaches call the wedge kick, trying to squeeze water with the thighs.
The whip kick really is describing the action of the feet and ankles and has nothing to do with how wide apart the knees are.
There are two forms of the whip kick now.
One is the traditional knees close enough that when finishing the kick the sole of the feet crash together. That should be the only criteria on the kick width. If you are not getting the feet together narrow the width of the knees. The feet are first brought up outside the width of the body to catch water before being quickly straightened out explosively so the heels and sole crash together.
The second whip kick I call the W kick. It starts with the knees as wide as the hips to slightly wider. The heels are brought up inside the body width directly behind the butt. The feet start outwards from there in a longer arc until they are again quickly straightened out explosively so the heels and sole crash together.
There is less stress on the medial knee joints with this kick, there is less water resistance as the heels are brought up inside the body width instead of outside as the first kick.
Connie,
See me at the next swim meet. I will help you on your kick. I am sure Mark is describing the kick correctly, sometimes you just need a different look or description for the light bulb to go on in your head and it will all click.
Also it can help to go to the faster lanes and watch some of the great breaststrokers kick. Follow behind them and watch the whole motion. The biggest thing you will be amazed how much water is displaced backwards from good kickers. You swim with an Olympic Gold medalist in breaststroke, can't get better than that.
Coach Wayne McCauley
ASCA Level 5
Reply
Former Member
What have you people done to my favorite stroke?:mad:
First dolphin-like rhythm has nothing to do with how the kick is performed.
The frog kick is what coaches call the wedge kick, trying to squeeze water with the thighs.
The whip kick really is describing the action of the feet and ankles and has nothing to do with how wide apart the knees are.
There are two forms of the whip kick now.
One is the traditional knees close enough that when finishing the kick the sole of the feet crash together. That should be the only criteria on the kick width. If you are not getting the feet together narrow the width of the knees. The feet are first brought up outside the width of the body to catch water before being quickly straightened out explosively so the heels and sole crash together.
The second whip kick I call the W kick. It starts with the knees as wide as the hips to slightly wider. The heels are brought up inside the body width directly behind the butt. The feet start outwards from there in a longer arc until they are again quickly straightened out explosively so the heels and sole crash together.
There is less stress on the medial knee joints with this kick, there is less water resistance as the heels are brought up inside the body width instead of outside as the first kick.
Connie,
See me at the next swim meet. I will help you on your kick. I am sure Mark is describing the kick correctly, sometimes you just need a different look or description for the light bulb to go on in your head and it will all click.
Also it can help to go to the faster lanes and watch some of the great breaststrokers kick. Follow behind them and watch the whole motion. The biggest thing you will be amazed how much water is displaced backwards from good kickers. You swim with an Olympic Gold medalist in breaststroke, can't get better than that.
Coach Wayne McCauley
ASCA Level 5
