Kick sets with running shoes

Yes, there's tons of benefits, like, for instance, you may get on the way back time machine and end up in the 1970s, when last this method was popular. On the other hand, maybe Fort and I have finally discovered something worse than kicking with Zoomers.

It's a great way to blow out your knees... Or ruin a good pair of running shoes. Not an advanced swimmer yet but I like to do timed 25's without a kick board from a dead start next to the wall without a push. This is on my own since I don't practice with a team regularily. 25M is 34 seconds but as this improves then my kick must improve too.

I seem to recall seeing some coverage a few years ago that Bob Bowman had Michael Phelps do kick sets with tennis shoes. Can't find anything with Google or Bing though.

I use al old pair of running shoes, and I agree that it seems like an outdated training method. We did dolphin kicks today, so no strain on the knees, but I did tell him that one twinge on my knees and they were coming off. I am trying to decide if it is more agravating to wear the shoes or argue with him, which I do a lot of anyway (I am the most serious and experienced swimmer on the team - small team). :argue:

Here's one famous coach that uses shoes and tells you why he likes them. www.swimmingcoach.org/.../swimming_with_randy.asp Good article, Coach T. So I guess my coach is not crazy or delusional (at least not as much as I thought he was). I still don't think I will look forward to shoe sets, but I will try to remember that if they don't kill me, they will make me stronger.:fish2:

At Cal in the early and mid 1980s, we used to kick with running shoes, crawl on our hands (with our feet supported by "wheels") up puke-covered ramps in the football stadium, etc etc. We also pulled with paddles the size of refrigerator doors, FWIW. I'd like to think that just because some great coaches use(d) certain training techniques, doesn't mean they're still "best practices" or applicable to athletes of all ages and abilities... By the dates, we are close to the same age. Would you like to do that kind of workout now? :cane:

I don't think mental toughness should be a required part of Master's practice. I have done kick sets with shoes, and I never saw any benefit. It certainly would make me look for another team if the coach thought they should be a regular part of practice. The thing is that the pool, the location and the time work real with the rest of my life during the week. Not a lot of choices where I live. I practice with another team on Saturday and that coach leads workouts more tailored to master swimmers. I am one of the fastest (probably cause I am one of the youngest), but the coach is able to give attention to every swimmer as they need it. She usually gives us a drill and then a set that will focus on the thing we just practiced in the drill. She also give us aerobic sets and calls me out when I am not giving my best, or when I am doing something that needs correction. The tennis shoe coach focuses his attention on his faster swimmers (also me, here I am one of the oldest, but I have the most experience). The days that I was protesting the shoe kick and not bringing my shoes, he put me on a rope and I made me do the stroke like that. He has never done that to other swimmers who 'forget' their shoes. Other swimmers comment about how much attention (usually yelling) he gives me and they are glad it is not at them. Both teams have about the same number of swimmers. I guess I am rebelling, because at this stage of my life, I want to swim for swimming's pleasure. And if I choose to compete, I do it for the pleasure, not to make the olympics (I am older than Dara). The coach wants to train us for 'Worlds', but none of us are that competitive. I will do what the coach says, but being frustrated (by having to swim with shoes) at 5:00 in the morning when I got up to swim to get the 'good feelings' of starting the day by swimming, is making me not have the 'good feelings'.:rant3:

at UT we did a little some kicking and swimming while wearing shoes not sure how much it helped. We also did a lot of swimming and pulling while wearing tubes around our ankles. Now, I don't use any equipment other than suits, goggles and caps. I sometimes use kick boards to sit on during breaks in practice. I do see a value to using fins in practice to work on speed and streamlining. BUT when you're in a meet you don't get to use any equipment

The thing is that the pool, the location and the time work real with the rest of my life during the week. Not a lot of choices where I live. I practice with another team on Saturday and that coach leads workouts more tailored to master swimmers. I am one of the fastest (probably cause I am one of the youngest), but the coach is able to give attention to every swimmer as they need it. She usually gives us a drill and then a set that will focus on the thing we just practiced in the drill. She also give us aerobic sets and calls me out when I am not giving my best, or when I am doing something that needs correction. The tennis shoe coach focuses his attention on his faster swimmers (also me, here I am one of the oldest, but I have the most experience). The days that I was protesting the shoe kick and not bringing my shoes, he put me on a rope and I made me do the stroke like that. He has never done that to other swimmers who 'forget' their shoes. Other swimmers comment about how much attention (usually yelling) he gives me and they are glad it is not at them. Both teams have about the same number of swimmers. I guess I am rebelling, because at this stage of my life, I want to swim for swimming's pleasure. And if I choose to compete, I do it for the pleasure, not to make the olympics (I am older than Dara). The coach wants to train us for 'Worlds', but none of us are that competitive. I will do what the coach says, but being frustrated (by having to swim with shoes) at 5:00 in the morning when I got up to swim to get the 'good feelings' of starting the day by swimming, is making me not have the 'good feelings'.:rant3: This doesn't sound very healthy -- or masters-like -- to me. My opinion: lose the shoes, as long as it doesn't cause a problem for your lanemates. (Maybe lose the coach, too...:)) Sorry for saying so, but Randy Reese's opinions on this are ludicrous. Kicking/swimming with tennis shoes proves how tough you are? Oh please; the only thing it proves is how domineering the coach is. There may be legitimate reasons for using them occasionally, but that isn't one of them.

It's a great way to blow out your knees...