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.
Ande, if I may I have a question for you. I see people with different opinions on the value of the kick, some saying it is more to initiate hip rotation, others believing in its propulsive value independant of hip rotation. There are some swimmers (even olympians) who barely even kick or at most have a 2 beat kick. Given that you are encouraging people to time their 25M streamline kicks, you obviously give it a lot of importance. Could you comment on how you believe the kick increases speed, i.e. is it for its intrinsic propulsive value or more to initiate rotation or both? Also, do you put a lot of importance in the timing of the kick relative to the arm stroke.
I have been doing a lot of the kicking you describe with a snorkel, and I'm wondering if my kicking form and coordination of kick with arm stoke will come naturally by just doing these drills.
Ande, if I may I have a question for you. I see people with different opinions on the value of the kick, some saying it is more to initiate hip rotation, others believing in its propulsive value independant of hip rotation. There are some swimmers (even olympians) who barely even kick or at most have a 2 beat kick. Given that you are encouraging people to time their 25M streamline kicks, you obviously give it a lot of importance. Could you comment on how you believe the kick increases speed, i.e. is it for its intrinsic propulsive value or more to initiate rotation or both? Also, do you put a lot of importance in the timing of the kick relative to the arm stroke.
I have been doing a lot of the kicking you describe with a snorkel, and I'm wondering if my kicking form and coordination of kick with arm stoke will come naturally by just doing these drills.
