OK, I was kicking it in the pool with the seniors and I noticed a recurring theme among all of them.
Everyone was having thier foot exit the water by at least 2 inches. By this I mean the part of the foot from just below the ankle all the way to the toes. I also used to (until about 3 months ago) kick this exact same way until I started focusing on having just my heel break the surface of the water. This has helped me immensely on getting a better 'bite' with my foot and to hold more water.
Am I just crazy or do most swimmers not know the correct way to kick? Heck, I didn't, that's for sure (unless I'm completely off my rocker).
Anyone else find it easier to kick this way?
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Former Member
I have a little anecdote on this, for what it's worth of course.
Back to the days I was training with a Varsity team (I was very weak compared the overall level of some other folks). I could easily book sets of 50m kick off 1min, off 55s, but off 50s it would be very problematic. Start hard, touch 45s. 5s rest. Next one would touch 46s. 4s rest. Next would touch 48s. 2s rest. Next? dropped.
One day I was trying to perform one of these and as usual, I was gradually being dropped. At one point the coach (who later became my boss) yields at me: Bend your knees to kick faster and tap on the water!!!
That sole feed back that day was enough for me to stay with the squad, finish the sets, and after that I was already good enough to stay with these guys even on the tightest kick intervals (no one in the squad were kicking off 45sec intervals for 50m kicking sets).
It wasn't a matter of practicing this new way of kicking for few days and see the results afterward. No. That day, that feedback made all the difference between staying with the squad and being dropped.
So for me, it's clear. If I need to run away from a shark (read *not being dropped from a set*), I tap on the water as hard and (more importantly) as fast as I can. And I DO bend the knees to do so.
I have a little anecdote on this, for what it's worth of course.
Back to the days I was training with a Varsity team (I was very weak compared the overall level of some other folks). I could easily book sets of 50m kick off 1min, off 55s, but off 50s it would be very problematic. Start hard, touch 45s. 5s rest. Next one would touch 46s. 4s rest. Next would touch 48s. 2s rest. Next? dropped.
One day I was trying to perform one of these and as usual, I was gradually being dropped. At one point the coach (who later became my boss) yields at me: Bend your knees to kick faster and tap on the water!!!
That sole feed back that day was enough for me to stay with the squad, finish the sets, and after that I was already good enough to stay with these guys even on the tightest kick intervals (no one in the squad were kicking off 45sec intervals for 50m kicking sets).
It wasn't a matter of practicing this new way of kicking for few days and see the results afterward. No. That day, that feedback made all the difference between staying with the squad and being dropped.
So for me, it's clear. If I need to run away from a shark (read *not being dropped from a set*), I tap on the water as hard and (more importantly) as fast as I can. And I DO bend the knees to do so.
