Hi. This is a great discussion board. I'm so glad to have found it.
Anyway, I'm a novice swimmer. I just started in summer when I began to get knee pain from running. I took some lessons in the fall. I was told my breaststroke is quite nice, and I can swim it endlessly. But freestyle is still very difficult for me.
I've read most of the threads, and there's a lot of very good advice for beginners that have precisely the same issues as I do.
However, my flutter kick is still quite weak and I'm having trouble managing many of the popular freestyle drills because of this. The usual advice I've seen is to do these drills while wearing fins. But I simply can't do this because even five minutes very gentle kicking in fins causes a flare up of ITBS in my right knee.
I haven't seen any mention this particular problem as it relates to swimming. Does anyone else have any experience with it? Or any off the cuff suggestions/advice?
I have seen a sports med spec, and his suggestion after seeing me twice was the classic "Well, don't swim then. Try cycling instead." Grrr. I live in Canada, so I don't really have the option of finding a physician with a bit more sympathy who might understand that cycling is cycling and swimming is a very powerful addiction. :(
Thanks. :)
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Former Member
Originally posted by geochuck
Consider the kick as a balancer and don't worry about how hard you kick. I think to much time is spent on the kick and drills??? they are the last thing to think about. Swim making sure the hand entry is good that your effort starts at the catch and finish the stroke as far down the thigh that you can. When recovering the elbows are high and when you commence the pull, don't drop your elbow.
It sounds like very good advice. I wish I knew how to tell when I was doing these things or not. It may not be worth paying for good instruction, though, if I'm going to be hindered by injury.
Originally posted by geochuck
Leg problems forget breaststroke...
Well, since it's the only stroke I feel comfortable doing, I didn't want to hear that. But I value your opinion. If breaststroke bothers my groin/hip and freestyle bothers my knee, perhaps my doctor is right after all.
Or I could just lay off swimming for few months.
Thanks.
Originally posted by geochuck
Consider the kick as a balancer and don't worry about how hard you kick. I think to much time is spent on the kick and drills??? they are the last thing to think about. Swim making sure the hand entry is good that your effort starts at the catch and finish the stroke as far down the thigh that you can. When recovering the elbows are high and when you commence the pull, don't drop your elbow.
It sounds like very good advice. I wish I knew how to tell when I was doing these things or not. It may not be worth paying for good instruction, though, if I'm going to be hindered by injury.
Originally posted by geochuck
Leg problems forget breaststroke...
Well, since it's the only stroke I feel comfortable doing, I didn't want to hear that. But I value your opinion. If breaststroke bothers my groin/hip and freestyle bothers my knee, perhaps my doctor is right after all.
Or I could just lay off swimming for few months.
Thanks.
