Has anyone tried to stretch their ankles to improve their kick?

Lindsay Wrong, i disagree with the don't-kick-past-horizontal theory, I've seen many fast swimmers kick and they tend to kick about 5 to 10 degrees past horizontal hyperextention of the knees allows the lower leg to go further down without moving the thigh more the kick is like a whip the core moves, thigh moves down. the lower leg moves have you ever seen fish, dolphins, whales, and penguins move through the water, they go past horizontal when they kick their bodies are more "aquadynamic" and their fins have greater surface area which generates more propulsion ande Originally posted by LindsayNB A naive analysis based on simple geometry and simple physics would say that any surface with a normal whose horizontal component is in the forward direction will be contributing to drag not forward propulsion. This implies the kick ceases to be propulsive (although it can still provide vertical forces) when it passes the horizontal. So kicking down beyond horizontal is only useful to the extent that is positions you for the upward kick, and kicking upward beyond horizontal is only useful to the extent that it positions you for the downward kick. So a hyperextension is only useful if you have a powerful upward kick, right? Fins and flexible feet and ankles provide an advantage becaue the provide a surface that continues to face backward even after the leg has passed the horizontal, right?

Lindsay Wrong, i disagree with the don't-kick-past-horizontal theory, I've seen many fast swimmers kick and they tend to kick about 5 to 10 degrees past horizontal hyperextention of the knees allows the lower leg to go further down without moving the thigh more the kick is like a whip the core moves, thigh moves down. the lower leg moves have you ever seen fish, dolphins, whales, and penguins move through the water, they go past horizontal when they kick their bodies are more "aquadynamic" and their fins have greater surface area which generates more propulsion ande Originally posted by LindsayNB A naive analysis based on simple geometry and simple physics would say that any surface with a normal whose horizontal component is in the forward direction will be contributing to drag not forward propulsion. This implies the kick ceases to be propulsive (although it can still provide vertical forces) when it passes the horizontal. So kicking down beyond horizontal is only useful to the extent that is positions you for the upward kick, and kicking upward beyond horizontal is only useful to the extent that it positions you for the downward kick. So a hyperextension is only useful if you have a powerful upward kick, right? Fins and flexible feet and ankles provide an advantage becaue the provide a surface that continues to face backward even after the leg has passed the horizontal, right?