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 think "toys" have a place in the pool. However, and I think we've had this discussion before, if toys become a crutch then that's not helping to improve your swimming.
I use a snorkel sometimes because of a messed up neck. And it's actually corrected my stroke a bit. I use large paddles for pull sets because I have puny hands and it's fun to swim fast with big hands, plus they make me stronger. And I only use fins when doing "garbage yards", which isn't too often and found to occur mostly in Feb and March!
Everybody has what works for them. I guess the question becomes are your toys supplements to your workout, or a crutch to cover up something you should work on?
I think "toys" have a place in the pool. However, and I think we've had this discussion before, if toys become a crutch then that's not helping to improve your swimming.
I use a snorkel sometimes because of a messed up neck. And it's actually corrected my stroke a bit. I use large paddles for pull sets because I have puny hands and it's fun to swim fast with big hands, plus they make me stronger. And I only use fins when doing "garbage yards", which isn't too often and found to occur mostly in Feb and March!
Everybody has what works for them. I guess the question becomes are your toys supplements to your workout, or a crutch to cover up something you should work on?
