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 have an update: SDK 25 metres 20:92 and Flutter Kick 25 metres 22:90 but to be honest I don't feel like I am really grabbing that water. Ande, I must admit I feel quite disheartened when I see that 12.4 25m SDK time of yours. I don't know where I am going wrong that I am so far off the mark. I am fiercely competitive and, believe me, it is through no lack of trying. I am not a slouch in the water either: I can go sub 27 for 50m free relatively easily but with my SDK it just feels like I am increasing the frequency of my kick without any major increase in forward propulsion. It feels like I am going more up and down than forward.
Last night I was watching some Go Swim links posted by George. If you have the time check out this: www.goswim.tv/videolist.php then scroll down until you see : Butterfly - Outside - In Kick and see what you think of this technique. I tried it this afternoon but I am not sure it made any difference. In fact I spent the enitre 1 1/2 hours this afternoon just working on my SDK's and wondering why it felt so ineffectual. I think it has to do with the fact that I am not using my entire body. I use my legs more. Recently I have been doing a lot of butterfly training (up to 1000m a practice) and I am hoping in the long run that this will strengthen my core and hence improve my SDK'ing.
Another thing I have noticed is that I am faster if I put my hands at my sides. I find if my arms are at my side, my whole body undulates more rhythmically and I get a much better forward propulsion but I am loathe to do this because it would just be impractical in a race. The arms have to be out in the front ready for the breakout stroke.
What would you say is the single most important aspect to mastering the SDK? Or is it just lots of practice until you find your own way?
Syd
I have an update: SDK 25 metres 20:92 and Flutter Kick 25 metres 22:90 but to be honest I don't feel like I am really grabbing that water. Ande, I must admit I feel quite disheartened when I see that 12.4 25m SDK time of yours. I don't know where I am going wrong that I am so far off the mark. I am fiercely competitive and, believe me, it is through no lack of trying. I am not a slouch in the water either: I can go sub 27 for 50m free relatively easily but with my SDK it just feels like I am increasing the frequency of my kick without any major increase in forward propulsion. It feels like I am going more up and down than forward.
Last night I was watching some Go Swim links posted by George. If you have the time check out this: www.goswim.tv/videolist.php then scroll down until you see : Butterfly - Outside - In Kick and see what you think of this technique. I tried it this afternoon but I am not sure it made any difference. In fact I spent the enitre 1 1/2 hours this afternoon just working on my SDK's and wondering why it felt so ineffectual. I think it has to do with the fact that I am not using my entire body. I use my legs more. Recently I have been doing a lot of butterfly training (up to 1000m a practice) and I am hoping in the long run that this will strengthen my core and hence improve my SDK'ing.
Another thing I have noticed is that I am faster if I put my hands at my sides. I find if my arms are at my side, my whole body undulates more rhythmically and I get a much better forward propulsion but I am loathe to do this because it would just be impractical in a race. The arms have to be out in the front ready for the breakout stroke.
What would you say is the single most important aspect to mastering the SDK? Or is it just lots of practice until you find your own way?
Syd
