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
Originally posted by Scansy
All of that being said I must ask Lindsay...What is the benefit of one arm fly? I will try it the next time I'm at the pool, but want to make sure I know what I am looking for.
Craig beat me to answering your question:
Originally posted by Scansy
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.
To elaborate, one arm fly allows you to slow down the stroke and do it with less energy and therefore for a longer period of time and distance. In Phelps/Bowman terminology it is an energy management issue. I can do one arm fly almost indefinately keeping good form and concentrating on timing and form where swimming whole stroke I exhaust too quickly. The slower pace also lets me better concentrate on the timing of the various parts of the stroke. With freestyle you can swim it at any speed you like, with butterfly it is harder to swim it slow and relaxed, and I find I swim differently when I swim it slow than fast. I think the key difference is that you don't need to lift yourself as far out of the water with one arm. I don't think one arm fly really has anything to do with concentrating on that one arm.
Originally posted by Scansy
All of that being said I must ask Lindsay...What is the benefit of one arm fly? I will try it the next time I'm at the pool, but want to make sure I know what I am looking for.
Craig beat me to answering your question:
Originally posted by Scansy
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.
To elaborate, one arm fly allows you to slow down the stroke and do it with less energy and therefore for a longer period of time and distance. In Phelps/Bowman terminology it is an energy management issue. I can do one arm fly almost indefinately keeping good form and concentrating on timing and form where swimming whole stroke I exhaust too quickly. The slower pace also lets me better concentrate on the timing of the various parts of the stroke. With freestyle you can swim it at any speed you like, with butterfly it is harder to swim it slow and relaxed, and I find I swim differently when I swim it slow than fast. I think the key difference is that you don't need to lift yourself as far out of the water with one arm. I don't think one arm fly really has anything to do with concentrating on that one arm.
