I've been playing around with my kick (again) after recently getting a chance to train with Misty Hyman as well as talking with one of our coaches from Japan who trains Kohei Kawamoto (who works out with us on occasion as well)...Coach Tako has been pushing me to work on the "up-kick" (on fly, downward on back SDK) and in turn I've been having some swimmers I coach do the same.
As obvious as it may sound it seems many people (myself included) focus so much on how fast they are trying to SDK that it may in fact be working against them as it requires such a massive amount of effort. My latest "tinkering" is try and actually gauge my distance per kick underwater (using the lane lines and/or cross lines on the pool bottom as a referance).
What I'm finding is that there is a definite and measurable difference by how fast I move thru the water when I "tempo-play" with my kicks and incorporate more of the power in the opposite direction. For me I actually start with several slower/bigger SDK's and then move into fast/smaller kicks...focusing from not just kicking from my core but also using more snap from the knee's.
It's had fro me to articulate...and its something that I've only been playing with a couple of weeks but just the awarenes of how far I'm going/how fast vs. simply kicking as hard as possible with the same tempo seems to have made a big difference.
I just got in from swim practice where I spent the final few minutes discussing this exact topic with one of our good ol' butterflyers!
He trained and reworked his fly technique with a great masters coach (now at the Olympic Club) and 100 flyer, Paul Carter.
The conversation started by him asking me my inseam size!
37 inches.
My problem has always been keeping my hips and legs up in the water - especially on anything past a 50 fly.
Now as a newer backstroker, I have been playing around with all the subtleties of the SDK. It definitely influences my weaker butterfly.
The "ol flyer" told me that in watching my butterfly and it's kick, I need to focus on the up kick.
That this was the secret he observed in Paul Carter's (WR and NR) butterfly and instruction he received in forging through the training to improve his own butterfly...
Heck as a coach, I tell swimmers that all the time!
And I LOVE vertical kicking to work both sides of the kick.
I'm hoping it is not impossible for long legged swimmers to swim faster butterfly. I have not given up hope.
In my own mind... off the start and walls, my dolphin kick is strictly waist down with a rock solid straight upper body, arms and hands.
Swimming fly, that beautiful dolphin kick starts instead when I press my chest and it ripples straight down my body to the tip of my red painted toes!
I'm sure I can improve since the "ol flyer" says I'm definitely not kicking up very well!
Love the "Ol Guys" who care enough to keep working on improving their technique!
I just got in from swim practice where I spent the final few minutes discussing this exact topic with one of our good ol' butterflyers!
He trained and reworked his fly technique with a great masters coach (now at the Olympic Club) and 100 flyer, Paul Carter.
The conversation started by him asking me my inseam size!
37 inches.
My problem has always been keeping my hips and legs up in the water - especially on anything past a 50 fly.
Now as a newer backstroker, I have been playing around with all the subtleties of the SDK. It definitely influences my weaker butterfly.
The "ol flyer" told me that in watching my butterfly and it's kick, I need to focus on the up kick.
That this was the secret he observed in Paul Carter's (WR and NR) butterfly and instruction he received in forging through the training to improve his own butterfly...
Heck as a coach, I tell swimmers that all the time!
And I LOVE vertical kicking to work both sides of the kick.
I'm hoping it is not impossible for long legged swimmers to swim faster butterfly. I have not given up hope.
In my own mind... off the start and walls, my dolphin kick is strictly waist down with a rock solid straight upper body, arms and hands.
Swimming fly, that beautiful dolphin kick starts instead when I press my chest and it ripples straight down my body to the tip of my red painted toes!
I'm sure I can improve since the "ol flyer" says I'm definitely not kicking up very well!
Love the "Ol Guys" who care enough to keep working on improving their technique!
