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.
by horribly timed I mean I try to awkwardly time the finish so that my left hand touches the wall as my right hand stops the watch on my left hand. sometimes I get it right, but regardless it involves slowing down at the finish. the only case where this isn't a problem so much is 25 flutter kick.
Have you thought about not stopping your watch and just giving it a quick look, right after you touch? On 25's, I wear my watch and do this, remembering my time for when I return to the other end. At the starting end, I keep a Promate dive slate and write down my times between intervals.
For 50's and 100's, I keep my watch by the edge of the pool and just look up after I touch. I write down those times, as well.
by horribly timed I mean I try to awkwardly time the finish so that my left hand touches the wall as my right hand stops the watch on my left hand. sometimes I get it right, but regardless it involves slowing down at the finish. the only case where this isn't a problem so much is 25 flutter kick.
Have you thought about not stopping your watch and just giving it a quick look, right after you touch? On 25's, I wear my watch and do this, remembering my time for when I return to the other end. At the starting end, I keep a Promate dive slate and write down my times between intervals.
For 50's and 100's, I keep my watch by the edge of the pool and just look up after I touch. I write down those times, as well.
