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.
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Former Member
Wow, great forum. I can't wait to try some of these drills.
I have been swimming for years with minimal progress, and I finally came to the conclusion it is my kick, something i have never worked on much. Like some of the other posters, I have had a lot of problems with cramping. The few drills I have worked on recently seem to help. My biggest issue appears to be stiff ankles and feet. I have size 11.5 feet so i think I could kick OK if I can improve my flexibility.
What is the best way to do this? Would the drills themselves accomplish this? I have tried some stretching exercises over the last couple of months, but I don't appear to have made much progress. A friend suggested that it is really hard to improve ankle and foot flexibilty.
Thanks for the help!
Wow, great forum. I can't wait to try some of these drills.
I have been swimming for years with minimal progress, and I finally came to the conclusion it is my kick, something i have never worked on much. Like some of the other posters, I have had a lot of problems with cramping. The few drills I have worked on recently seem to help. My biggest issue appears to be stiff ankles and feet. I have size 11.5 feet so i think I could kick OK if I can improve my flexibility.
What is the best way to do this? Would the drills themselves accomplish this? I have tried some stretching exercises over the last couple of months, but I don't appear to have made much progress. A friend suggested that it is really hard to improve ankle and foot flexibilty.
Thanks for the help!
