My *** kick currently takes me either nowhere or slightly BACKWARDS. =)
(Boy, that sounds a lot like my once-broken flutter kick I was complaining about here. =))
My instructor insists that I do it in the following way:
1. streamline
2. bend legs keeping knees together
3. begin to separate feet, keeping knees together
4. whip legs out and back together, finally separating knees for an instant
I've tried this a thousand times and while I do move quite nicely when I add in my arm strokes, my kick contributes little or nothing to that movement.
I've watched a bunch of videos and I've found that most competitive swimmers (and even James Bond in Casino Royale =)) do the following:
1. streamline
2. bend legs AND separate needs to form a bent "V" of sorts
3. whip legs back together
Which style do you guys use? Does it make sense that I wouldn't be getting any power from the former style? I haven't even tried the second style, but I have a feeling it would work a lot better for me.
Here is what recommend: bring your feet up as high as you comfortably can bending only at the knees with your knees about 6 inches apart( knees together puts more strain on them and shortens the kick unnecesarily)
turn your ankles out as far as you can
kick straight down(your feet will automatically follow a curve as they start outside your knees)
finish with your feet together,point your toes and glide.
Well, I am going to say SHOULD do it. Turning the feet outward on the leg pullup to the buttocks, helps when you go to finish the kick. Those feet turned outward and then when they finish that frog or whip kick, much force and propulsion is created when they come together at the finish. I also make sure that my ankles either touch or come very very close to touching on the finish of the kick, about the same time as I point or semi-point my toes.
Go online and find some videos of great breastrokers; you will get to see what they do in their kicks. I'll bet it is Description B in your earlier post.
I wonder why your swim coach hasn't come up with this idea yet? But like I said, go online and view some videos/pictures so you can see what needs to be done to propel yourself forward.
Donna
I would find the first set of description to be very difficult to do. This, to me, means that all the power is strictly coming from the knees down and I also don't think our knees were quite designed to rotate to that degree over and over.
Number two sounds more like what I do when I do IMs. The knees have to separate somewhat. Also, you did not mention if you are turning your feet outward when the feet start coming closer to the buttocks. Also, a lot of people do not finish the kick. Just so you know, breastrokers and backstrokers have mighty powerful kicks.
My :2cents: worth.
Donna
Which style do you guys use? Does it make sense that I wouldn't be getting any power from the former style? I haven't even tried the second style, but I have a feeling it would work a lot better for me.
call me "oldschool" but my old coaches told me to imitate what a frog does...minus the fly eating etc...it's how I do it...maybe i am wrong but it works for me...
that is also my :2cents: ...hey you're gonna be rich at this rate!! :rofl:
If this helps: think of your kick as a wedge, if you're watching form behind. Your knees stay somewhat close together on a flat plane. Bring your feet up towrds your butt, turn your ankles out and bring them back down in a WEDGE shape...or a V shape...whichever helps you see it. Just remember to keep your knees straight behind you. Do NOT bring them towards your chest, which is a common mistake. That could be what's pushing you backwards.
A drill to help your leg position: do breaststroke kick on your back and be aware of your knees. YOU do NOT want to bring them above the water level. You want to keep them along the surface with your feet coming twards your butt and wedge them around. When you have this down, try it on your belly with your hands on your butt. You should try kicking your hands each time, but remember to keep your knees BEHIND you. Just life your head to breathe as needed. NEVER EVER EVER EVER bring them towards your chest. This is a massive brake to keep your kick from going anywhere...or make you go backwards!
Thanks. So that's what I should be doing? Turning my feet outward?
I don't want to say "should" but I do it...your coach may not agree
I learned 30 years ago though...all I do now is try to streamline more and hold the glide...it's kind of funny now, with someone in the next lane franctically stroking and I'm gliding easy and long but we both are in a dead tie. I guess whatever works... :)
Okay.
And just to be clear, method "A" described in my original post is what I'm doing now. It is decidedly NOT very frog-like.
Method "B" is exactly the "frog" method and it's also the one I think will work better.
So I will take that advice explicitly: FROG it up. =)
It can't possibly be any worse than going backwards. And if it is, well, then I'll have invented a new reverse breastroke.. it'll be the fifth stroke for the olympics. =)
Well, I am going to say SHOULD do it.Donna
Hehe well that's because you're so much more awesome than me! :p
I just don't feel that I am "technically knowledgeable" to tell him to do this or do that. I only could tell him what worked for me. You're a much more experienced swimmer than I Donna, so it's OK for you to tell him how to swim :) :notworthy:
PS I'm being sincere...not facetious.
Thanks for the replies, folks.
Man, I'm tired. My shoulders are sore. My legs are sore.
And I have more swimming to do tonight. argh.
I think "practicing" "floats" and "good body position" are going to be on the agenda... and maybe... "how to sit properly on the side of the pool" or "how to stand in the water and not move". You know, challenging stuff.
In other news, after some TI drills, I've improved my freestyle a lot. I think I have a high Stroke Length for a beginner. It certainly feels like it. I get a lot of power from rolling.
