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!
There's one thing that I don't think has been mentioned.. Why do you do a split kick?? My guess is because you're off balance somewhere in your stroke and you are naturally trying to counter-balance for it with that kick. Do you cross over the midline of your body at some point of the pull? Do you pull wide somewhere?? Action-Reaction.
Some of the suggestions here are valid. Kick smaller and more consistently, better body balance starting with your head and working your way down. Press your body against a wall and get your entire spine to make contact with the wall. Not easy - is it? What muscles are you using to do it? Abs? Lower Back? Probably both. Good swimming posture requires both.. Engage those exact same muscles, now in the water and think about swimming taller and not looking to low or high. You should be able to kick with the tip of the heels at the surface - 2, 4 or 6 beat kick. If the kick is small/tight enough, you can't get too low if your heels are that high. Food for thought..
There's one thing that I don't think has been mentioned.. Why do you do a split kick?? My guess is because you're off balance somewhere in your stroke and you are naturally trying to counter-balance for it with that kick. Do you cross over the midline of your body at some point of the pull? Do you pull wide somewhere?? Action-Reaction.
Some of the suggestions here are valid. Kick smaller and more consistently, better body balance starting with your head and working your way down. Press your body against a wall and get your entire spine to make contact with the wall. Not easy - is it? What muscles are you using to do it? Abs? Lower Back? Probably both. Good swimming posture requires both.. Engage those exact same muscles, now in the water and think about swimming taller and not looking to low or high. You should be able to kick with the tip of the heels at the surface - 2, 4 or 6 beat kick. If the kick is small/tight enough, you can't get too low if your heels are that high. Food for thought..
