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.
Hi Ande,
I really appreciate your time and efforts on this board. I am just starting to get into swimming more seriously, and have always kicked without any real rhythm. I've tried doing a 6-beat (1,2,3 stroke, 1,2,3 stroke) but have a heck of a time keeping this rhythm (my legs get mixed up and end up kicking at the wrong time). I do a right kick when I'm fully rotated to the left and starting the rotation to the right), and vice versa. This is at least what I've read and think I've seen on YouTube. Of course the other 2 kicks confuse the dickens out of me, and I invariably get out of rhythm. 2-beat kicks are no problem for me, I get it. Any advice on how to establish the rhythm, and in which part of the strokes I should kick? Also, how do you teach the rhythm to an 8 year-old (my son), or should he just kick as hard and fast as he can?
Thanks.
Hi Ande,
I really appreciate your time and efforts on this board. I am just starting to get into swimming more seriously, and have always kicked without any real rhythm. I've tried doing a 6-beat (1,2,3 stroke, 1,2,3 stroke) but have a heck of a time keeping this rhythm (my legs get mixed up and end up kicking at the wrong time). I do a right kick when I'm fully rotated to the left and starting the rotation to the right), and vice versa. This is at least what I've read and think I've seen on YouTube. Of course the other 2 kicks confuse the dickens out of me, and I invariably get out of rhythm. 2-beat kicks are no problem for me, I get it. Any advice on how to establish the rhythm, and in which part of the strokes I should kick? Also, how do you teach the rhythm to an 8 year-old (my son), or should he just kick as hard and fast as he can?
Thanks.
