Kickboards (pro-con)

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Allen Stark — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:29:50 GMT

I just remembered another use for kick boards. This is a drill I read about,take 2 kick boards and put them under you at your center of buoyancy(lying prone in the water.)Start with your arms and legs spread for balance and the slowly move them together until you are in streamline position.Hold for 30 sec. When that gets easy go to 3 boards etc.The most I ever held for 30 sec. was 5.This is a good drill for balance,body position and core strength.It can also be done on your back.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:24:58 GMT

. . . and once, my daughter took two kickboards, and held them over her head saying, "Those who do not live by the law, shall DIE by the law." Then she threw them in the pool. That's the most purposeful use I've seen for them yet! :applaud:

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 05:42:02 GMT

. . . and once, my daughter took two kickboards, and held them over her head saying, "Those who do not live by the law, shall DIE by the law." Then she threw them in the pool.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:36:50 GMT

Oh, I also use them to keep track of sets. If I'm swimming 4x100, I'll turn the board one-quarter turn with each set. Come to think of it, lately I've used a kickboard more than any other device.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:41:53 GMT

I like the way Hookedon counts it. The Supreme Court needs to decide this!:bolt:

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:38:55 GMT

I like the way Hookedon counts it. Actually the poll is set up in a way that you can say that the numbers of people thinking that a kickboard is a useful tool and those thinking the opposite are almost even since poll answers 1,2 and 4 obviously do not mean that a kickboard is a useful tool(evil/useless/chance to talk), making the number of people thinking that 30 against 31 thinking the opposite.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:25:59 GMT

The Nays Lead. George: I don't think you can count the 4th option as nay; they're non-votes in Pro/Con. Are you with the South Florida Election Committee for Chad counting?:rofl:

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:31:23 GMT

The Nays Lead.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:48:12 GMT

I hate kickboards because they hurt my shoulders. Never use them. But I can see that they might be useful for BR kick, possbily flutter kick as well (although I don't use a board for flutter kicking). I can't see any use for kickboards for backstroke or dolphin kick though. Midas and Willow are right. For that, get a monofin or do shooters and longer kicks sans board. BR kick is really the last thing you need to use a board for...go streamline kick, kick, kick, breathe, kick, kick, kick breathe...board just gets in the way. We're going to have some fun arguments a week from monday LOL I use a board for egg beater drill though. You need the air. If I do flutter with a board I usually keep my head neutral and just rest my hands on the board. I think it's good for a strength workout but I tend to agree it has little to do with the actual stroke.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:43:09 GMT

I don't like them because my neck aches afterward, so I don't use one generally. I'll flutter kick on my side or back. I have been using one to work on a BR kick, so I can concentrate on the kick alone (I'm learning the stroke). 150 yds is the limit for my neck though.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:40:30 GMT

I used it today. Went 600y with fins and the board as a "Tombstone" for resistance. Smoked my legs. Now I'm:cane:

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Allen Stark — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:43:49 GMT

I'm anti board,they hurt my shoulders and the body position isn't right.I do all my kicking with a snorkle,on my back,or au naturale.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

knelson — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:12:30 GMT

I like kicking with a board. I feel like I can kick harder for a longer time with a board than without one. Also, when I try to kick on my back w/o a board I invariably run into the lane line. I don't know why, but I've been doing this my whole life and it always drives me crazy. If kicking with a board hurts your neck or shoulders, then don't use one, but for many of us it doesn't. I rarely kick more than 1,000 yards per practice. I could imagine getting stiff if you kicked with a board more than that. Yes, a board will alter your body position, but I don't think it really matters. The idea of kicking with a board is to work your legs, not to work on body position. A kick set is not a swim set. To say kicking with a board is bad because it affects your body position would be like saying you should never swim breaststroke becuase it might affect your body position in freestyle.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:48:35 GMT

I have a bum hip from a ski injury many years ago, and the kickboard really helps me keep my hip strength and flexibility up. Having said this, it still sucks doing it. :thhbbb: .

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 08:32:29 GMT

Maybe not kick boards, but kick sets are useful. I personally like to use them in my sprint sets. I also use them to check the endurance of my legs (i.e. how many 50s can I handle within 75 seconds). Sometimes I use them with fins for my ankle flexibility. If my arms are too much tired or if I have pain on my shoulders, it is time to use kick boards. I do not hate them.:blah:

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:27:35 GMT

I use them all the time. I put the page with my workout on the kickboard, then slap some water over the workout to 'glue' it onto the board.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:39:21 GMT

I hate kickboards. They give me repeated really nasty stiff necks, and hurt my shoulders. I like swimming sans widgets for the most part. Although I do like my Zoomers, and if someone gave me a Monofin, I'd kiss them and jump up and down squealing. So I guess I just hate kickboards and pull buoys. Willow

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 10:25:17 GMT

kickboards are helpful, but I think they can mask problems such as poor streamline, poor ab strength, poor flexibility, ... I don't think kickboards are meant to simulate the same kicking that is done during a stroke, but rather to give the swimmer a chance to work on their leg fitness and power, while having a steady supply of air. If I was trying to work on the technique of my kick, I'd try and do it while swimming the stroke itself because kicking in the context of a stroke is quite different than isolated kicking. I can see how some tools such as zoomers would be helpful here as they don't interrupt stroke mechanics but can provide a bit more responsiveness to changes in the kick. I do think that the arm position and head position are very odd though and might cause injury if held for too long. I find I have to be careful after using a kickboard because my arms and shoulders can tighten up a lot.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

The Fortress — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:31:44 GMT

Kickboards are good for improving kicking strength, as they isolate the kick. You have to take it seriously, of course. I just find that I "cheat" with too much pulling/sculling when I don't have a board. I do think boards are pretty useless, even for this purpose, for backstroke and butterfly kicking. Backstroke kicking can be done in a streamline just fine and butterfly kicking is more about form that kick strength (core strength is a different matter). Breaststrokers benefit greatly from improved leg strength. If kickboards don't teach proper form, well, that's what drills are for! I hate kickboards because they hurt my shoulders. Never use them. But I can see that they might be useful for BR kick, possbily flutter kick as well (although I don't use a board for flutter kicking). I can't see any use for kickboards for backstroke or dolphin kick though. Midas and Willow are right. For that, get a monofin or do shooters and longer kicks sans board.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Midas — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:27:00 GMT

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:13:09 GMT

What do you really think about kickboards??? I thought this should be brought back from the past. Last post was 2.5 years ago.

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Wed, 16 Mar 2005 12:48:59 GMT

I don't use a board. doing fly & free kicks on your side as fast as you can is great. It sorks on balance & speed. I've also noticed that an older man hasstarted to do it & he seems better balanced also. the misalignment the board causes really hurst my neck!

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 17:23:40 GMT

Actually I used to coach women with "excessive" thighs. Using any fin they had, the board was turned flat 90 degrees to the waters surface. The deeper the board was pushed into the water, the more resistance. This really work their legs, and yes it did work:p

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 15:04:31 GMT

I use the kickboards to work my legs, not to improve my swimming. I have red zoomers that I put on and do about 500 yards a workout with my zoomers and the kickboard (with my arms extended in front of me). I can really feel my thigh and calf muscled burning that way...

RE: Kickboards (pro-con)

Former Member — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 11:34:01 GMT

Originally posted by Bob McAdams It certainly is! A majority of the respondents so far (31 to be exact) have indicated that kickboards "are a useful training tool", yet I've counted only 2 who were able to state any reason why they think this. Actually the poll is set up in a way that you can say that the numbers of people thinking that a kickboard is a useful tool and those thinking the opposite are almost even since poll answers 1,2 and 4 obviously do not mean that a kickboard is a useful tool(evil/useless/chance to talk), making the number of people thinking that 30 against 31 thinking the opposite.