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.
For those of you who, like me have a weak flutter kick, and who are working on improving it, here is a hint that might help.
I don't like kicking with boards and I don't like kicking without. Boards give me lower back pain and kicking without is almost pointless as I lift my head up every 10 kicks or so gasping for breath. When I lift my head up I lose my streamline position and then everything goes to rot.
So now I get into the streamline position (right hand over left) and place my hands on top of the lower third of the board. This doesn't lift me out of the water as it would if I gripped the front of the board but does give me some much needed flotation when I want to lift my head for a breath. When I kick I still kick face down in the water and just lift my head to breath. I don't have that pressure in my lower back anymore. The board is just a little prop now and isn't altering the way my body floats in the water.
Yesterday I went 21.46 for 25m flutter kick. That almost a 2 second improvement on my last time but still a long way off what is possible. Compare Ande's 14.xx. I haven't given up yet!
Syd
For those of you who, like me have a weak flutter kick, and who are working on improving it, here is a hint that might help.
I don't like kicking with boards and I don't like kicking without. Boards give me lower back pain and kicking without is almost pointless as I lift my head up every 10 kicks or so gasping for breath. When I lift my head up I lose my streamline position and then everything goes to rot.
So now I get into the streamline position (right hand over left) and place my hands on top of the lower third of the board. This doesn't lift me out of the water as it would if I gripped the front of the board but does give me some much needed flotation when I want to lift my head for a breath. When I kick I still kick face down in the water and just lift my head to breath. I don't have that pressure in my lower back anymore. The board is just a little prop now and isn't altering the way my body floats in the water.
Yesterday I went 21.46 for 25m flutter kick. That almost a 2 second improvement on my last time but still a long way off what is possible. Compare Ande's 14.xx. I haven't given up yet!
Syd
