I posted here when I was just beginning to swim at the ripe age of 23.
Since a lot of people helped me both publicly and through private messages, I think you deserve an update.
I'm a lot more comfortable in the water these days. I'm still trying to perfect my breathing, but it's much less of a struggle.
I realized that THINKING and SWIMMING don't go well together. Once I stopped over-analyzing everything and started just focusing on swimming, more things fell into place.
As a beginner adult swimmer, here are the things that really helped me:
-- Swim, don't think (see above)
-- The kicking you see in TI videos is not the way most people kick... and if it is, it's not a good thing to think about when you're trying to kick better
-- Looking DOWN is bad. Look forward slightly.
-- Backstroke in busy pools with poor turbulence absorption (lane ropes, gutters) is a BAD idea.
-- You are too full of hot air to sink to the bottom of the deep end... if you want to kill yourself by going down there, you'll have to try pretty damned hard.
-- Anything that is supposed to help you float is in fact the best way to drown yourself
-- Drinking lots of chlorinated water will make you sick to your stomach and you'll think you have an ulcer for a month until you take a break from swimming and feel fine
-- Jammers are tight
-- Diving is fun
-- Diving improperly hurts
I thought I'd clarified on another thread that there is no "TI way to kick." On our Freestyle Made Easy DVD there were several people using a 6-beat -- including Joe Novak of whom there was more footage than any other single swimmer -- and several using a 2-beat. Which, therefore, is the "TI Way?"
So I'll reiterate. What we teach is to harmonize and integrate whichever kick comes most naturally to you to the rest of the stroke.
Terry:
As you should know, I wrote this post well before you "clarified" the TI stance on kicking for Poolraat on the "muscular endurance" thread. All I was referring to above was the synchronization of driving the left foot down while recovering with your right arm. And, in my post, I stated many expert and seasoned swimmers I know love to kick this way. When I said I couldn't do it, I was really just admitting my own ineptitude, not criticizing you. I even said technique was critical and that you should work on it all the time. So I think you're overreacting a little here. This is perfect example of how you should lighten up.
If I had to sum up my impressions of the TI "way" to kick based on my own impressions and readings, I think it would be:
1. Throw out the kickboard
2. Don't "waste" your time with kick sets
3. Use the integrated kick I describe above for maximum results in most distances
4. Don't ever use fins to kick
It appears you're willing to admit that sprinters actually need a strong kick.
Maybe Alphathree was just having trouble with #3 as a beginning swimmer and expressed her frustration. Swimming is a heavily technique oriented sport and I think it's very hard to learn it for the first time your 20s. Most super elite masters swimmers seem to have substantial age group experience, including yourself.
I thought I'd clarified on another thread that there is no "TI way to kick." On our Freestyle Made Easy DVD there were several people using a 6-beat -- including Joe Novak of whom there was more footage than any other single swimmer -- and several using a 2-beat. Which, therefore, is the "TI Way?"
So I'll reiterate. What we teach is to harmonize and integrate whichever kick comes most naturally to you to the rest of the stroke.
Terry:
As you should know, I wrote this post well before you "clarified" the TI stance on kicking for Poolraat on the "muscular endurance" thread. All I was referring to above was the synchronization of driving the left foot down while recovering with your right arm. And, in my post, I stated many expert and seasoned swimmers I know love to kick this way. When I said I couldn't do it, I was really just admitting my own ineptitude, not criticizing you. I even said technique was critical and that you should work on it all the time. So I think you're overreacting a little here. This is perfect example of how you should lighten up.
If I had to sum up my impressions of the TI "way" to kick based on my own impressions and readings, I think it would be:
1. Throw out the kickboard
2. Don't "waste" your time with kick sets
3. Use the integrated kick I describe above for maximum results in most distances
4. Don't ever use fins to kick
It appears you're willing to admit that sprinters actually need a strong kick.
Maybe Alphathree was just having trouble with #3 as a beginning swimmer and expressed her frustration. Swimming is a heavily technique oriented sport and I think it's very hard to learn it for the first time your 20s. Most super elite masters swimmers seem to have substantial age group experience, including yourself.
