As a new swimmer, and being 47 years old, I basically swim freestyle and a little *** (have trouble keeping my kick legal). Today, during my morning workout provided me by this very website, a dolphin kick was necessary. Quickly donning my zoomers (I suck at kick) I proceeded down the pool. Seeing as it still took me forever, I had a lot of time to ponder lifes meaning. For me its "Start early if you want to swim fly." For although two years into my swimming career, no way I can do fly. Even if I had the strength to get my arms out of the water that long...I am so rhythmic challenged I will never pull it together. Oh well, I feel comfortable swimming free, and so far the lack of the additional events hasnt hurt me none. Anyone out there learn to swim fly at such an advanced age?
Kip, sounds like you like a challenge! I say go for it, as one day a few years down the road once you're zooming through a 200 fly at nationals, you'll be saying to yourself, man I wish I tried this earlier!
Butterfly is certainly tough, and the hardest thing, as you mention, is getting the cadence down correctly. Ideally, you will have one pull and two kicks each cycle, but for someone just starting out, i recommend doubling the kicks to 4 per cycle (it is actually legal to swim that way anyway). In a 2-kick cycle, you use the first kick of the cycle to propel your arms forward, and a smaller kick for the underwater portion of your arms as they move back towards your hips.
If you look at it as swimming free with both arms at the same time, it isn't so bad :)
Good luck!!
Kip, sounds like you like a challenge! I say go for it, as one day a few years down the road once you're zooming through a 200 fly at nationals, you'll be saying to yourself, man I wish I tried this earlier!
Butterfly is certainly tough, and the hardest thing, as you mention, is getting the cadence down correctly. Ideally, you will have one pull and two kicks each cycle, but for someone just starting out, i recommend doubling the kicks to 4 per cycle (it is actually legal to swim that way anyway). In a 2-kick cycle, you use the first kick of the cycle to propel your arms forward, and a smaller kick for the underwater portion of your arms as they move back towards your hips.
If you look at it as swimming free with both arms at the same time, it isn't so bad :)
Good luck!!
