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?
Here's what Dennis has to say:
Coach Dennis Baker
Tips on Turns
Let’s take some time to look at an important key to successful
swimming heading into our meet season and preparing for
our Long Course Masters Nationals. I was lucky enough
to participate in the USA Swimming Nationals in Atlanta
and the USA Senior Sectionals in December, and made an
interesting observation at both meets. While watching and
swimming with the best swimmers in the world what caught
my eye as it pertains to Masters Swimming was turns.
It’s an absolute fact that the best swimmers have the best
turns. The new craze is the dolphin kick underwater off the
wall. I watched Ryan Lochte beat Michael Phelps all because
his turns were better underwater. What I asked myself, “is
this a viable technique for a Masters Swimmer to work on”?
The answer is yes and no. In practice, it is always good to
work on getting a tiny bit farther underwater with perfect
streamlines and fl utter or dolphin kick, as if putting yourself
in oxygen debt. This will make your turns in a competition
less fatiguing and you will have a
better race. However, in a race, it is not
wise to try and emulate swimmers like
Lochte, Phelps, and Coughlin. These
swimmers generate a huge amount of
power off the wall and go very deep. It
takes a tremendous amount of time in
practice and a lot of strength training
to perfect this. The truth, and it hurts
to say this, is that the more we age
the less viable this type of turn is. My
recommendation is not to waste your time and energy trying
this in a race. Your time is best served perfecting a nice tight
and clean turn. A prime example of this is Dara Torres. At
the age of 40, Dara is once again tearing up the pool and
has recently set a couple of American Records. Dara doesn’t
do a lot of dolphin kicks off the wall. She streamlines, pops
right up, and gets to swimming.
I witnessed the same style with a few swimmers at the USA
nationals. I asked a few of them why they don’t spend a
lot of time underwater. Their response was that they were
not good at it, and felt more comfortable and faster by just
popping up and getting going. One kid I asked had just gone
a 42.6 in the 100 yard freestyle! So don’t feel like you are
missing out on too much here gang. Keep your turns clean
and simple. By this I mean don’t stay too long underwater
because you will run out of air and lose the momentum you
create from the push off.
So what can we do to make our turns better? What is most
important to do and not do on your turns? Here is a list and
a few drills to help you on your way!!!
1) On a Freestyle turn do not take a breath going into your
turn with BOTH ARMS AT YOUR SIDE. It’s ok to take
a breath going in, but do a stroke with the breath into the
wall.
2) On a Freestyle break out do not take a breath before your
fi rst arm stroke. You may have to switch the arm you start
with to fi x this. One arm stroke, then a breath.
3) Perfect your breakouts. Having a comfortable strong
breakout is what’s most important in turns. As discussed
before, it may be a shorter distance under water than you
are currently doing.
4) Absolutely, don’t lose the momentum off the wall
before you start to swim. Use the force you created off the
wall to start your stroke. This relates to number 3.
5) Don’t rush your turn. It’s not so important how fast you
get around, but how well you place your feet and have a
good push off. Especially, on flip turns. I see and get wet a
lot from swimmers slapping their feet so hard on the wall
they never get their feet set and have a bad push off.
A drill to improve your flip turns:
1) Flip and stop drill. Do your normal
flip turn and stop with your feet on the
wall for three seconds while sculling
with your hands to keep steady. Set
your feet well, bend the knees, and
have a strong push off. This drill will
help you a great deal. Do twenty of
these at the end of practice once a
week and you will start to notice a
change in your regular practice and
race turns.
A drill to help your open turns:
1) Kick turn drill. Place both hands on the wall with your
face in the water. Kick flutter for ten seconds while holding
your breath and then do an open turn with a good breakout.
This drill will raise your heart rate before the turn and
fatigue you. If you can perform a good turn in this state,
you can perform a good turn in a race. Do ten of these at the
end of practice once a week.
Do these drills with breakouts in mind. Don’t stress about
not being able to do turns like Lochte, Phelps, and Coughlin
and you will be well on your way to better swimming and
racing.
Here's what Dennis has to say:
Coach Dennis Baker
Tips on Turns
Let’s take some time to look at an important key to successful
swimming heading into our meet season and preparing for
our Long Course Masters Nationals. I was lucky enough
to participate in the USA Swimming Nationals in Atlanta
and the USA Senior Sectionals in December, and made an
interesting observation at both meets. While watching and
swimming with the best swimmers in the world what caught
my eye as it pertains to Masters Swimming was turns.
It’s an absolute fact that the best swimmers have the best
turns. The new craze is the dolphin kick underwater off the
wall. I watched Ryan Lochte beat Michael Phelps all because
his turns were better underwater. What I asked myself, “is
this a viable technique for a Masters Swimmer to work on”?
The answer is yes and no. In practice, it is always good to
work on getting a tiny bit farther underwater with perfect
streamlines and fl utter or dolphin kick, as if putting yourself
in oxygen debt. This will make your turns in a competition
less fatiguing and you will have a
better race. However, in a race, it is not
wise to try and emulate swimmers like
Lochte, Phelps, and Coughlin. These
swimmers generate a huge amount of
power off the wall and go very deep. It
takes a tremendous amount of time in
practice and a lot of strength training
to perfect this. The truth, and it hurts
to say this, is that the more we age
the less viable this type of turn is. My
recommendation is not to waste your time and energy trying
this in a race. Your time is best served perfecting a nice tight
and clean turn. A prime example of this is Dara Torres. At
the age of 40, Dara is once again tearing up the pool and
has recently set a couple of American Records. Dara doesn’t
do a lot of dolphin kicks off the wall. She streamlines, pops
right up, and gets to swimming.
I witnessed the same style with a few swimmers at the USA
nationals. I asked a few of them why they don’t spend a
lot of time underwater. Their response was that they were
not good at it, and felt more comfortable and faster by just
popping up and getting going. One kid I asked had just gone
a 42.6 in the 100 yard freestyle! So don’t feel like you are
missing out on too much here gang. Keep your turns clean
and simple. By this I mean don’t stay too long underwater
because you will run out of air and lose the momentum you
create from the push off.
So what can we do to make our turns better? What is most
important to do and not do on your turns? Here is a list and
a few drills to help you on your way!!!
1) On a Freestyle turn do not take a breath going into your
turn with BOTH ARMS AT YOUR SIDE. It’s ok to take
a breath going in, but do a stroke with the breath into the
wall.
2) On a Freestyle break out do not take a breath before your
fi rst arm stroke. You may have to switch the arm you start
with to fi x this. One arm stroke, then a breath.
3) Perfect your breakouts. Having a comfortable strong
breakout is what’s most important in turns. As discussed
before, it may be a shorter distance under water than you
are currently doing.
4) Absolutely, don’t lose the momentum off the wall
before you start to swim. Use the force you created off the
wall to start your stroke. This relates to number 3.
5) Don’t rush your turn. It’s not so important how fast you
get around, but how well you place your feet and have a
good push off. Especially, on flip turns. I see and get wet a
lot from swimmers slapping their feet so hard on the wall
they never get their feet set and have a bad push off.
A drill to improve your flip turns:
1) Flip and stop drill. Do your normal
flip turn and stop with your feet on the
wall for three seconds while sculling
with your hands to keep steady. Set
your feet well, bend the knees, and
have a strong push off. This drill will
help you a great deal. Do twenty of
these at the end of practice once a
week and you will start to notice a
change in your regular practice and
race turns.
A drill to help your open turns:
1) Kick turn drill. Place both hands on the wall with your
face in the water. Kick flutter for ten seconds while holding
your breath and then do an open turn with a good breakout.
This drill will raise your heart rate before the turn and
fatigue you. If you can perform a good turn in this state,
you can perform a good turn in a race. Do ten of these at the
end of practice once a week.
Do these drills with breakouts in mind. Don’t stress about
not being able to do turns like Lochte, Phelps, and Coughlin
and you will be well on your way to better swimming and
racing.
