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.
It sure helps when the toes point in on the down kick on the crawl and the up kick on the backstroke. If the ankles are relaxed during the up beat on crawl the foot flexes back and the toes do not point in. The feet should never be force pointed. It should happen without thinking about it.
Right on, George. Back (way back) when, I made myself do this, so that the movement of my feet during the down kick (with toes pointed in) ressembled that of a power boat's screw-blade; it did ostensibly and noticeably increase the effectiveness of the kick.
It sure helps when the toes point in on the down kick on the crawl and the up kick on the backstroke. If the ankles are relaxed during the up beat on crawl the foot flexes back and the toes do not point in. The feet should never be force pointed. It should happen without thinking about it.
Right on, George. Back (way back) when, I made myself do this, so that the movement of my feet during the down kick (with toes pointed in) ressembled that of a power boat's screw-blade; it did ostensibly and noticeably increase the effectiveness of the kick.
