I am slow, and when I mean slow, I mean slow. I can do a 26 sec 50 with fins, but without I come in just under 1:20! I think a big part of it is just taking the fins off and doing a lot of kick sets to learn to feel the water better with my feet. I have a good breaststroke kick so I don't think my problem is an overly weak pair of legs, although they could be in better shape. Also, myankles are fairly flexible as I can point my toes and make my feet bend backwards past an even position with my shins. However, I do think that I need to loosen up my ankles when I kick. I feel like I get more out of my kick for those brief moments when I allow my ankles to snap back and forth with my kick. I think I actually need to relax more to kick faster as weird as that sounds.
I suppose the answer to my question is that I simply need to take of the fins and do kick set after kick set until I learn to feel the water better with my feet and become more efficient.
I did my weekly timing and did much better than I thought I could. I had someone time me on the pace clock and did three all out kicks from a dive off the blocks for 25 yards. I went 21, 20 and 20. I didn't think I would hit that number for a while.
Better yet in my main kick set I did a 12 x 25 yards all of which were uner 30 except my last two and they were 30 and 31. I has hitting anywhere from 27 to 29 (during the week I have been training at a 25 meter pool which I think has helped too)! When I started three weeks ago, I seriously had a hard time getting down below 40 and by the end my 6th 25 (yards) I was getting closer to 45. I still can't believe what three weeks of following your advice has done for my kick! I just figured it was a breastroker thing and I would always have a horrible flutter kick. Don't get me wrong, I know that I am still snail slow, but the improvement has been far beyond what I thought I could accomplish in this time period. I can't explain how excited I am right now.
Thinking back on everything I think the fins really hurt my kick. It was like I couldn't feel the water when I took them off. But I couldn't keep up without them. When I start swimming with the team again, I will just do shorter distances if I have to. I really think that developing a feel for the water with my feet and my shins has been the biggest improvement for me. That and bending my knees. Before, I was trying to keep my legs completly straight and kick with my ankles only. Trust me, that doesn't work.
Thanks for all your help Ande. It has really paid off thus far.
Hook'em
Blue
I did my weekly timing and did much better than I thought I could. I had someone time me on the pace clock and did three all out kicks from a dive off the blocks for 25 yards. I went 21, 20 and 20. I didn't think I would hit that number for a while.
Better yet in my main kick set I did a 12 x 25 yards all of which were uner 30 except my last two and they were 30 and 31. I has hitting anywhere from 27 to 29 (during the week I have been training at a 25 meter pool which I think has helped too)! When I started three weeks ago, I seriously had a hard time getting down below 40 and by the end my 6th 25 (yards) I was getting closer to 45. I still can't believe what three weeks of following your advice has done for my kick! I just figured it was a breastroker thing and I would always have a horrible flutter kick. Don't get me wrong, I know that I am still snail slow, but the improvement has been far beyond what I thought I could accomplish in this time period. I can't explain how excited I am right now.
Thinking back on everything I think the fins really hurt my kick. It was like I couldn't feel the water when I took them off. But I couldn't keep up without them. When I start swimming with the team again, I will just do shorter distances if I have to. I really think that developing a feel for the water with my feet and my shins has been the biggest improvement for me. That and bending my knees. Before, I was trying to keep my legs completly straight and kick with my ankles only. Trust me, that doesn't work.
Thanks for all your help Ande. It has really paid off thus far.
Hook'em
Blue
