Does anyone else here NOT kick when they swim freestyle?
When I was 19, a coach told me that a lot of "real" freestylers don't kick, which was a surprise to me because every other coach I'd had would yell at me to kick during my events. I grew up thinking I was the odd one out, but maybe someone on here knows what I'm talking about...
Parents
Former Member
This supposition was confirmed last winter when I taught a paraplegic triathlete in the Endless Pools in our Swim Studio. At the beginning of the lesson, he wasn't kicking, he wasn't rotating, and his toes were dragging on the pool floor as he attempted freestyle
At the end of the lesson (which was heavily modified from the means we use to teach fully-able athletes) he was still unable to kick, but in what seemed miraculous, his legs moved to a balanced, horizontal position aligned nicely behind his hips. There was even a suggestion of an involuntary 2-beat kick. All of this lower body action, in someone who was paralyzed below mid-abdomen, was produced by rotation initiated in the arms and shoulders, where he was quite powerful, by spearing each arm forward strongly to a "target" which we had imprinted earlier. Congratulations for this.
If I had immobilized his legs with a rubber band - inhibiting them from whipping semi-independently with each rotation - I don't think we would have seen that occur. If you immobilize anyone's legs with a rubber band, part of the reason why their legs sink is this limitating effect on rotation. I agree. The other part being of course the fact that the *actions* taking place at the upper body level have a strong *opposite reaction* on at the lowerbody level. Head position (too high), head movement (breathing too high), downward forces applied during the catch, pull through phase done with extened arms as well as other factors contribute to lower body sinking when doing this drill with the band.
By letting the swimmer struggling for a while, he may (in fact I have noticed that they always do) find ways to naturally improve balance, by modifying some of these bad behaviours. And as you may guess, the real magical touch is when we remove the band and ask them to give an other try to this 'light 2beat kick'. The 'victory kind of' smile on their face as they reach the other end of the pool makes me keep faith on this misunderstood drill.
Thanks for the chat Terry, from the reputation that you have, I am surprised to discover someone with whom it seems to be very pleasant to chat with.
I own a copy of your book (the yellow one about free style for newbies). Though I can't agree with all of its content, I can only recommend it and I do it on a regular basis.
Bests, Charles
This supposition was confirmed last winter when I taught a paraplegic triathlete in the Endless Pools in our Swim Studio. At the beginning of the lesson, he wasn't kicking, he wasn't rotating, and his toes were dragging on the pool floor as he attempted freestyle
At the end of the lesson (which was heavily modified from the means we use to teach fully-able athletes) he was still unable to kick, but in what seemed miraculous, his legs moved to a balanced, horizontal position aligned nicely behind his hips. There was even a suggestion of an involuntary 2-beat kick. All of this lower body action, in someone who was paralyzed below mid-abdomen, was produced by rotation initiated in the arms and shoulders, where he was quite powerful, by spearing each arm forward strongly to a "target" which we had imprinted earlier. Congratulations for this.
If I had immobilized his legs with a rubber band - inhibiting them from whipping semi-independently with each rotation - I don't think we would have seen that occur. If you immobilize anyone's legs with a rubber band, part of the reason why their legs sink is this limitating effect on rotation. I agree. The other part being of course the fact that the *actions* taking place at the upper body level have a strong *opposite reaction* on at the lowerbody level. Head position (too high), head movement (breathing too high), downward forces applied during the catch, pull through phase done with extened arms as well as other factors contribute to lower body sinking when doing this drill with the band.
By letting the swimmer struggling for a while, he may (in fact I have noticed that they always do) find ways to naturally improve balance, by modifying some of these bad behaviours. And as you may guess, the real magical touch is when we remove the band and ask them to give an other try to this 'light 2beat kick'. The 'victory kind of' smile on their face as they reach the other end of the pool makes me keep faith on this misunderstood drill.
Thanks for the chat Terry, from the reputation that you have, I am surprised to discover someone with whom it seems to be very pleasant to chat with.
I own a copy of your book (the yellow one about free style for newbies). Though I can't agree with all of its content, I can only recommend it and I do it on a regular basis.
Bests, Charles
