How do triathletes and tennis players work on the ankle flexibility?
Former Member
While I keep working on increasing my ankle flexibility, I recently read in an article that ankle flexibility comes at the cost of ankle instability (= higher propensity for ankle sprain), which spells trouble for runners and tennis players.
Tennis being my other favorite sport, this puts me in a dilemma.
Are there master swimmers out there who also maintain competitiveness in tennis or running, or is this a "you can't have a cake and eat it too" situation?
I am hoping that I can become competitive in swimming with ankles that are stable (read rigid in swimming) enough for tennis as well.
Parents
Former Member
Like for most triathletes, I think that it's possible to reach a level of flexibility that is sufficient for decent performances to take place, without degrading stability (for other sports).
Flexibility should improve by itself if you let your ankles be relaxed when you perform kicking sets.
You can't really control flexibility, but you DO control the fact of relaxing this region. Flexibility can only improve while the feet are relaxed and floppy.
To improve this aspect, a simple drill I like consist of kicking (with a board) alternating between very relaxed and slow pace with very hard and fast pace. "Fast/Slow" segments duration is totally up to you. You don't need to count the length (free your mind. Don't bother counting anything).
I find that most people when they first get into this drill are kicking the "Slow" segments too fast, and the "Fast" segments too slow. The idea is to go as slowly as possible when you go slow. You focus on letting the ankles being floppy and relaxed. Then hopefully, when you kick fast and hard some of this relaxation gets transfered and improvement in flexibility takes place as a result of increasing the pressure (by kicking real hard).
I dunno if these clips still work fine, but if yes then here's a clip about flexibility and floppiness.
www.dropshots.com/day.php
here's one where I kick as slowly as I possibly can. Notice that even though water is splashing a bit, there is zero effort in this clip. Just relaxation and floppiness.
www.dropshots.com/day.php
And finally, here's one where I kick fast. Me (and this is only limited to me) I like to kick fast on top of water (not saying it's the best way to kick, but it's my way). I don't like to make the effort of kicking underneath the surface.
www.dropshots.com/day.php
Like for most triathletes, I think that it's possible to reach a level of flexibility that is sufficient for decent performances to take place, without degrading stability (for other sports).
Flexibility should improve by itself if you let your ankles be relaxed when you perform kicking sets.
You can't really control flexibility, but you DO control the fact of relaxing this region. Flexibility can only improve while the feet are relaxed and floppy.
To improve this aspect, a simple drill I like consist of kicking (with a board) alternating between very relaxed and slow pace with very hard and fast pace. "Fast/Slow" segments duration is totally up to you. You don't need to count the length (free your mind. Don't bother counting anything).
I find that most people when they first get into this drill are kicking the "Slow" segments too fast, and the "Fast" segments too slow. The idea is to go as slowly as possible when you go slow. You focus on letting the ankles being floppy and relaxed. Then hopefully, when you kick fast and hard some of this relaxation gets transfered and improvement in flexibility takes place as a result of increasing the pressure (by kicking real hard).
I dunno if these clips still work fine, but if yes then here's a clip about flexibility and floppiness.
www.dropshots.com/day.php
here's one where I kick as slowly as I possibly can. Notice that even though water is splashing a bit, there is zero effort in this clip. Just relaxation and floppiness.
www.dropshots.com/day.php
And finally, here's one where I kick fast. Me (and this is only limited to me) I like to kick fast on top of water (not saying it's the best way to kick, but it's my way). I don't like to make the effort of kicking underneath the surface.
www.dropshots.com/day.php
