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.
All that kicking will make you faster because you will be in better condition.
That's an improvement...it isn't a waste of time anymore? :)
For OW swims I think the kick isn't that important (though the CORE still is). For the mile I can certainly understand how weaker kickers can still be very competitive. Most of us also swim 100s, 200s, etc, where the kick is a very significant part of the race.
Based on this and other posts of yours, I think you are not advocating that kicking is a completely unimportant part of swimming, just that it can be worked on to the appropriate extent during "regular" swim sets. (Let me know if I am misinterpreting you.)
I think even the most ardent kick-supporter spends more time on the "front end" than on kick-specific sets. But doing exercises to isolate certain aspects of swimming -- kicking, pulling, hypoxic sets, dryland work -- is valuable to me and many others. I spend 40% of my time underwater in SC backstroke races, and I know they have improved by very intense kick-specific sets as well as hypoxic work. It also keeps things more interesting; I might get bored otherwise.
But certainly everyone needs to integrate it all together in the end.
There are also many paths to fast swimming. I am extremely hesitant to be a strong advocate of what I know works for ME (such as kicking sets) as "the answer" for everyone at all levels. In fact, the following are the only unequivocal statements I am willing to make:
-- Do things in training that you enjoy. (Mix it up, try new things.)
-- Work as hard at it as you can. (It will probably make you faster but even if it doesn't, it still makes you fitter.)
-- If you are really interested in testing your limits in swimming, you need to (a) find a good coach and (b) swim in meets and use the results as feedback. Preferably you should do race-pace things in practice, too, and use them to improve your racing skills and conditioning.
Good luck to you. I wish Chuckie speedy recovery.
All that kicking will make you faster because you will be in better condition.
That's an improvement...it isn't a waste of time anymore? :)
For OW swims I think the kick isn't that important (though the CORE still is). For the mile I can certainly understand how weaker kickers can still be very competitive. Most of us also swim 100s, 200s, etc, where the kick is a very significant part of the race.
Based on this and other posts of yours, I think you are not advocating that kicking is a completely unimportant part of swimming, just that it can be worked on to the appropriate extent during "regular" swim sets. (Let me know if I am misinterpreting you.)
I think even the most ardent kick-supporter spends more time on the "front end" than on kick-specific sets. But doing exercises to isolate certain aspects of swimming -- kicking, pulling, hypoxic sets, dryland work -- is valuable to me and many others. I spend 40% of my time underwater in SC backstroke races, and I know they have improved by very intense kick-specific sets as well as hypoxic work. It also keeps things more interesting; I might get bored otherwise.
But certainly everyone needs to integrate it all together in the end.
There are also many paths to fast swimming. I am extremely hesitant to be a strong advocate of what I know works for ME (such as kicking sets) as "the answer" for everyone at all levels. In fact, the following are the only unequivocal statements I am willing to make:
-- Do things in training that you enjoy. (Mix it up, try new things.)
-- Work as hard at it as you can. (It will probably make you faster but even if it doesn't, it still makes you fitter.)
-- If you are really interested in testing your limits in swimming, you need to (a) find a good coach and (b) swim in meets and use the results as feedback. Preferably you should do race-pace things in practice, too, and use them to improve your racing skills and conditioning.
Good luck to you. I wish Chuckie speedy recovery.
