Does anyone know if submerged dolphin kicks are always better than submerged freestyle (or backstroke) kicks?
I find fly kicks very tiring and slow for my particular body. It seems I can go as fast if not faster off the walls kicking free or back underwater--and these take much less energy.
If SDK is the obviously preferred approach, can anybody provide actual evidence--swimming science studies, for instance--that compare the same person's speed doing both? Similarly, is there some physical cause for why split-leg kicking should be intrinsically slower than legs-together kicking?
Obviously, you have to do SDK on fly and *** pullouts (if you are going to do any kick at all.) But for free and back, you still have a choice, and I'd like to know if the SDK choice is always (or almost always) a better one.
I am wondering if it is sufficient to conclude that because most of the world's fastest swimmers do this, it necessarily means it's an optimal technique. Dara Torres, for her part, does not use SDK in her sprints. Is this just a case of old dogs having trouble with new tricks? Or could it be that SDKs work great for some--but not so great for other body types?
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I know I should go and get a time trial of SDKs and flutter kick for the start of a 50 meter short or long course free. But I never remember to do that, when at the pool. I use the SDKs for as long as I can for my 50 fly because it seems logical and as I get waisted pretty soon doing the whole fly thing, I kind enjoy the respite under water, although as I run out of breath or CO2 builds up I come up for air and start doing the regular fly. My doubts are like Jim's, specially for shorter distances. Basically the 50 free either short or long course. I guess the answer would be to swim 25s timing each way, with SDKs and without, but I like to hear what other masters would say. Just the other day I put on a nose clip and lo and behold, I managed to last longer under water at the turn. Because I didn't have to worry about blowing air out my nose so as not to drown! Might try and use it at a meet, where that extra time under water with either flutter or other would be better. I have a master friend who is a lot faster than I, and swims longer distances and uses open turns. He told me he couldn't afford the loss of breath he felt doing the flip turn. This guy is an experienced swimmer, formerly a youth swimmer, so I don't know what gives...billy fanstone...
I know I should go and get a time trial of SDKs and flutter kick for the start of a 50 meter short or long course free. But I never remember to do that, when at the pool. I use the SDKs for as long as I can for my 50 fly because it seems logical and as I get waisted pretty soon doing the whole fly thing, I kind enjoy the respite under water, although as I run out of breath or CO2 builds up I come up for air and start doing the regular fly. My doubts are like Jim's, specially for shorter distances. Basically the 50 free either short or long course. I guess the answer would be to swim 25s timing each way, with SDKs and without, but I like to hear what other masters would say. Just the other day I put on a nose clip and lo and behold, I managed to last longer under water at the turn. Because I didn't have to worry about blowing air out my nose so as not to drown! Might try and use it at a meet, where that extra time under water with either flutter or other would be better. I have a master friend who is a lot faster than I, and swims longer distances and uses open turns. He told me he couldn't afford the loss of breath he felt doing the flip turn. This guy is an experienced swimmer, formerly a youth swimmer, so I don't know what gives...billy fanstone...
