That's what I'm talkin' about!
Ok, when a breaststroker is giving the thumbs up to SDKs, that's cool! :bouncing:
Uh, Al, now that I know that avatar is not your dog, I think it's due for a change. Although it does sort of remind me of the blonde ponytail. lol
This is the most sensible thread I have found about kicking. Seeing I am not the one who started it. Thanks Ande you do not really express my true thoughts.
Kicking is very important but kicking alone will never make you win a race. It takes coordination of the whole body.
I still believe the weakest link in propusion is the leg action.
Stud if your arms turn over faster your legs must follow suit.
My problem has been the opposite. I'd been having problems getting my 50 free going. I was trying to get my arms to turn over as fast as I could and I felt like I was just spinning. My teammate told me to get my kick going strong and that my arms would follow suit. It worked for me--I dropped 1/2 second in a day.
You guys make some good points (and some not so good points) - but if somebody told they did a test like that, I am guessing 90% of us would have said that the kicking group will improve.
I think the biggest lesson here is that all training has to be as specific as possible. I like these type of studies and I remember one where they compared 2 groups training on stationary bikes - group A was using a regular stationary bike and group B used one where you almost lay down --- both groups improved a lot on their specific bikes - but the "cross-training" effect was very poor.
I think a lot of swimmers have the same problem in kicking - kicking with a board is quite different from the kick people use while swimming. The body position and angle of the feet are different.
This is the most sensible thread I have found about kicking. Seeing I am not the one who started it. Thanks Ande you do not really express my true thoughts.
Kicking is very important but kicking alone will never make you win a race. It takes coordination of the whole body.
I still believe the weakest link in propusion is the leg action.
Stud if your arms turn over faster your legs must follow suit.
This thread is Ande's thread, not mine. It was his way of disagreeing with my thoughts about over kicking and my full stroke training, working on the kick while swimming full stroke.
Stud if your arms turn over faster your legs must follow suit.
I'm no expert, but I've seen enough swimmers who drag their legs behind them to know that this isn't true.
I'll take my propulsion any where I can get it.
Just kick and win your races. Don't use the big motor, the front wheel drive (the arms) get all your power and propulsion from your legs. I am sure you will not be on the podium.
The legs are the balancers never have been the driving force, never will.
Now the dolphin kick is different now the whole body is in action and providing propulsion, the dolphin kick is not just the legs.
