Can anyone suggest drills to help me swim as fast without a pull buoy as I do with one?
I work hard at practice 5 days a week and make incremental gains every so often. But my improvement over the past year can't compare to the amount I improve when I grab a pull buoy.
So - I need to be working on my body alignment? Keeping my legs high in the water? Strengthening my abs? I try to work on all of those things but I would really appreciate any drill or workout ideas.
Thanks!
Often, weak kickers will use a 2 beat kick as counter weights to their arms. When that happens they create more drag, inhibit rotation and give no leverage to the pull.
Oh, so true. And the cruel irony is that a wide 2-beat kick, maybe with a cute little crossover, can make the swimmer feel as if she is accomplishing a lot of powerful hip rotation even though it is not making her go any faster.
I definitely use a 2 beat kick when I get into a long set, with the excuse that I mostly compete in open water.
I compete most successfully in open water too but I have become even more successful since I put my mind to mastering the six-beat kick and using it as often as I can in workout. (I should do it every single moment but sometimes my mind does wander.) In a straight 5K I am sure I switch to a more relaxed 1/1 or 3/1 pattern in the middle, but it is nice to have that extra gear for starting, passing, and finishing.
Often, weak kickers will use a 2 beat kick as counter weights to their arms. When that happens they create more drag, inhibit rotation and give no leverage to the pull.
Oh, so true. And the cruel irony is that a wide 2-beat kick, maybe with a cute little crossover, can make the swimmer feel as if she is accomplishing a lot of powerful hip rotation even though it is not making her go any faster.
I definitely use a 2 beat kick when I get into a long set, with the excuse that I mostly compete in open water.
I compete most successfully in open water too but I have become even more successful since I put my mind to mastering the six-beat kick and using it as often as I can in workout. (I should do it every single moment but sometimes my mind does wander.) In a straight 5K I am sure I switch to a more relaxed 1/1 or 3/1 pattern in the middle, but it is nice to have that extra gear for starting, passing, and finishing.
