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?
In addition to drag, I am able to involve more many muscles (ie the core) in dolphin kick compared to flutter kick. In comparing my two kicks, flutter doesn't come anywhere close to dolphin in either sheer speed or endurance.
Perhaps the main difficulty some have is getting all those muscles to act in concert (timing). And I hate to keep beating the flexiblity drum, but that might contribute too: having the flexibility to transfer energy down from the "powerhouse" through the legs in a wave-like fashion.
Me too! My flutter kick without a board is mediocre. Much faster dolphin kicking. Perhaps it all comes down to flexibility and core strength. I will say I get the most bang for my buck off the start. Air and fatigue are more problematic as the race goes on.
What kind of "strength training" is Dennis concluding is necessary for becoming proficient at SDKs?
In addition to drag, I am able to involve more many muscles (ie the core) in dolphin kick compared to flutter kick. In comparing my two kicks, flutter doesn't come anywhere close to dolphin in either sheer speed or endurance.
Perhaps the main difficulty some have is getting all those muscles to act in concert (timing). And I hate to keep beating the flexiblity drum, but that might contribute too: having the flexibility to transfer energy down from the "powerhouse" through the legs in a wave-like fashion.
Me too! My flutter kick without a board is mediocre. Much faster dolphin kicking. Perhaps it all comes down to flexibility and core strength. I will say I get the most bang for my buck off the start. Air and fatigue are more problematic as the race goes on.
What kind of "strength training" is Dennis concluding is necessary for becoming proficient at SDKs?
