I was trying to practice my kicks, i tried slow and fast, neither will move me across the lap at all without my arms.
I was using a kicking board, and i will kick from my hips, or quads, nothing. Wont' move an inch.
can someone please tell me why??
Former Member
Kick on your back with an arm in streamline (relaxed) above your head.
Get yourself a pair of fins. If you are a slow, weak kicker, these help in three ways:
- They amplify positive feedback when you do it correctly.
- They stretch out your ankles, automatically, without thinking about it or straining yourself or trying any harder.
- They make it possible for you to "keep up" better during kick sets and actually want to work on your kicking.
These comments go double if you are working on a "body dolphin" skill as part of learning butterfly or *** stroke.
As with any tool (e.g. a pull buoy, a kickboard, paddles, etc.) they can become a crutch if you use them excessively. I would recommend that you take the fins off whenever you are not kicking (so you whole stroke does not become adapted to swimming with fins). However, don't be shy about using them consistently in kick sets for right now. Eventually, you should try to do a few kick sets without them, the goal being to make your kick without fins feel like your kick with fins.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
Matt
Matt, thanks for the advice. Do you actually go faster with those fins?
I did my first masters class today and I'm so embarassed coz I'm so slow...it's not even funny.
If using those fins can cut my time down a little bit at least in the beginning, and help my kicks move forward, I really want to try it, is there specific ones that are better than others? Thanks!
Any fin will do. Zoomers, regular sized, oversized scuba fins; it doesn't matter. Just pick a pair that fit your feet well and won't rub your skin off with extended use.
my coach told me to use the kickboard and do 50 meters of flutter kick, and that was like the biggest nightmare ever for me. I kicked off the wall, and then i tried every single position, heads down in water with hands stretched out barely touching the kickboard, moving my legs with my quads/hips, toes totally pointed, did not move an inch, it was absolutely ridiculous. I can totally tell even under water that I was not moving at all. Coach noticed that but he honestly don't know what I'm doing wrong.
Maybe I really need to get a pair of fins. Does this have to be zoomers, or does any type of fin help? Thanks!
*sigh*
