Hi, new to the board, back in the pool about 4 months.
Worked up to doing Mo Chambers workouts, but always substituting for fly in the IM's because I just never learned it.
I've always been a lousy kicker, but I bought a pair of Zoomers and quit using the board, which has helped a bunch. I do dolphins front and side and flutter on my back. I just started to dolphin kick off the flip (without the fins), which has really helped reduce stroke count (10 catchup; 13 -- 14 normally; 15 + is a failed lap). I'm 6'2" and dropped from 200+ when I started down to 190 - 195, which feels great.
Today I tried doing the fly legs in the IM's wearing the Zoomers, and I think there's some hope. Can a 44 year old lousy kicker learn to fly? Is it OK to learn with fins? Are there bad habits to watch out for when learning with or without the fins? Or should I forget about fly and just concentrate on the other three strokes?
I'm having a lot of fun swimming again, love the workouts and chat here, and am not afraid of looking like a complete dweeb.
Parents
Former Member
I don't watch many swimming tapes, but a teammate lent me Michael Phelps Flying Lessons (which he rented from this site). Some things that were emphasized:
1. Soft hands on entry.
2. Short distance repeats (25s, 50s, 75s)--with short rest-- so your form does not deteriorate.
3. One arm drills like 2-2-2 (two strokes with one arm, two with the other, than two complete strokes) to work on timing over longer distances without tiring.
4. Emphasis on the "body dolphin" (kicking with the core as well as the legs), with repeats on the surface, underwater, on the side, and vertical (with weights). His coach considers this now a fifth stroke.
I don't watch many swimming tapes, but a teammate lent me Michael Phelps Flying Lessons (which he rented from this site). Some things that were emphasized:
1. Soft hands on entry.
2. Short distance repeats (25s, 50s, 75s)--with short rest-- so your form does not deteriorate.
3. One arm drills like 2-2-2 (two strokes with one arm, two with the other, than two complete strokes) to work on timing over longer distances without tiring.
4. Emphasis on the "body dolphin" (kicking with the core as well as the legs), with repeats on the surface, underwater, on the side, and vertical (with weights). His coach considers this now a fifth stroke.
