I'm frustrated about this: head flat, butt up, kick from hips, head flat, butt up, kick from hips.
Today, my buddy and I were swimming, he like a fish and me like a slug. I said I was beginning to get frustrated at not being able to increase my endurance. He said I was still kicking with my knees and not my hip flexors, creating more drag. I have consciously tried to work this out, the flippers help cause they make me feel more flat and relaxed and sort of give me position in my head like I should feel without them. I swim flat with them on a couple of laps. I take em off, swim a length without them, flat and ok, and then...my butt drops and I start kicking from the knees. durnit!
I really just needed to vent a little, e-whine I guess, to some guys that I won't have to admit my frustration face to face.
But..on the bright side I am better than I was. :confused:
I'm really in no hurry, just sort of frustrated at being hung up at this point.
Thanks for listening,
Mark
Parents
Former Member
It will take some time, I think is natural for people to kick from the knees than the hips. I see it all the time. It's been a habit to kick from the knee and now your trying to "kick" the habit.
You butt is dropping because you problably starting kicking from the knees before you realized you were kicking from the knees. People tend to do this at the begining of learning how to swim because they are tired, most of the time you don't realize your tried and starting kicking from the knees.
Try doing some kick drills with a kick board, keeping your face in the water looking only at the lane line, while your kick. This will help your to keep your head down while helping your concentrate only on kicking. If you don't have a kick board, put your arms out in front of you with your hand on top of one another, then put your face down, and kick. I tell people just learning to kick like thunder, once you stop kicking from the knees you can start to control the kick into more of the water and not be splashing so much.
Question, I've never used flippers, so I really don't know, but does the flippers "really" make you flat and give you the position you want? They could be giving you a false since of doing this, just a thought.
The good news is - is once you get it, you won't go back to kicking from the knees.
It will take some time, I think is natural for people to kick from the knees than the hips. I see it all the time. It's been a habit to kick from the knee and now your trying to "kick" the habit.
You butt is dropping because you problably starting kicking from the knees before you realized you were kicking from the knees. People tend to do this at the begining of learning how to swim because they are tired, most of the time you don't realize your tried and starting kicking from the knees.
Try doing some kick drills with a kick board, keeping your face in the water looking only at the lane line, while your kick. This will help your to keep your head down while helping your concentrate only on kicking. If you don't have a kick board, put your arms out in front of you with your hand on top of one another, then put your face down, and kick. I tell people just learning to kick like thunder, once you stop kicking from the knees you can start to control the kick into more of the water and not be splashing so much.
Question, I've never used flippers, so I really don't know, but does the flippers "really" make you flat and give you the position you want? They could be giving you a false since of doing this, just a thought.
The good news is - is once you get it, you won't go back to kicking from the knees.
