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.
Originally posted by ande
OK
here's a few things to add to the mix
1) distance per kick drills
concentrate on feeling the water with your feet and shins and going further with each kick
don't worry about time, count your kicks
2) fast 50 kicks
you are ready to add fast 50 kicks to the mix
so now start training and testing 25's and 50's
if you're kicking a 50 with no board,
take one arm pull into the turn and flip it
splitting becomes inportant for 50's and up
you need to learn how to kick fast but
hold back a little to save some energy for your last 25
3) time to 10ths of a sec
start doing your test kicks with a timer on a stop watch
4) short sprint kicks
Do a few 10 yard, 12.5 yard and 15 yard
all out kicking blasts to improve your all out kicking speed
take lots of rest
5) self talk / belief
add self talk while you're kicking, just repeat
"I'm a fast kicker"
the more you believe it the faster you'll kick
6) kick while you swim
learn to use your new kick when you sprint freestyle swim
so do a few sprint 25's where you concentrate on blasting your legs, stick with a 2 beat for longer stuff
7) streamline dolphin kicking
start training and testing sprint streamline dolphin kicking
8) test and train with a board from a push
I have been incorporating some of these points this week and last week. I have been focusing on distance per kick (150 SCM for warm up!), sprinting with a 6 beat kick and developing a stronger two beat kick at longer distances. I have also been doing SDK and breastroke kicking. I am very happy that I am actually getting some push out of my kick even when I do longer distances with a two beat kick. Better yet, I am finally starting to develop a rythm for a 6 beat kick (or at least something more than 2) on short distances. It has really made a difference in my swimming. I am really looking forward to seeing were I am at by the end of the summer.
Originally posted by ande
OK
here's a few things to add to the mix
1) distance per kick drills
concentrate on feeling the water with your feet and shins and going further with each kick
don't worry about time, count your kicks
2) fast 50 kicks
you are ready to add fast 50 kicks to the mix
so now start training and testing 25's and 50's
if you're kicking a 50 with no board,
take one arm pull into the turn and flip it
splitting becomes inportant for 50's and up
you need to learn how to kick fast but
hold back a little to save some energy for your last 25
3) time to 10ths of a sec
start doing your test kicks with a timer on a stop watch
4) short sprint kicks
Do a few 10 yard, 12.5 yard and 15 yard
all out kicking blasts to improve your all out kicking speed
take lots of rest
5) self talk / belief
add self talk while you're kicking, just repeat
"I'm a fast kicker"
the more you believe it the faster you'll kick
6) kick while you swim
learn to use your new kick when you sprint freestyle swim
so do a few sprint 25's where you concentrate on blasting your legs, stick with a 2 beat for longer stuff
7) streamline dolphin kicking
start training and testing sprint streamline dolphin kicking
8) test and train with a board from a push
I have been incorporating some of these points this week and last week. I have been focusing on distance per kick (150 SCM for warm up!), sprinting with a 6 beat kick and developing a stronger two beat kick at longer distances. I have also been doing SDK and breastroke kicking. I am very happy that I am actually getting some push out of my kick even when I do longer distances with a two beat kick. Better yet, I am finally starting to develop a rythm for a 6 beat kick (or at least something more than 2) on short distances. It has really made a difference in my swimming. I am really looking forward to seeing were I am at by the end of the summer.
