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 wouldn't say it's a hard and fast rule. For sprints maybe, but not necessarily for distance, at least at the masters level. I've heard from a couple very fast people, including the national champion in my age group in the 1650 free, that he has a weak kick.
I wouldn't say it's a hard and fast rule. For sprints maybe, but not necessarily for distance, at least at the masters level. I've heard from a couple very fast people, including the national champion in my age group in the 1650 free, that he has a weak kick.
