Kicking

I was a big Kicker in my youth but came to believe that kicking too much could actually slow you down if it is not integrated correctly in your stroke. Without the proper balance I believe that poorly integrated kicking could actually slow you down. Any thoughts? I've never found anything outside of TI that integrated kicking. Would love to find a good drill for that. The TI stuff just seems to make me swim slow with a good stroke.....

I have been doing this kick session with various strokes: 5x(25 hard kick/25 easy stroke) 5x(25 easy kick/25 hard stroke)

*some masters do not turn well with w/FINz and should not wear them *some masters need to use FINz to build confidence in their SDK And some masters just use them as a crutch. :cane: It bugs me that some people use them all the time, or worse, put them on at various times during the workout. The lane then has to reshuffle. Small thing, but it certainly is a small flow break. I got some zoomers maybe three seasons ago and used them for some kick sets. I think they might have helped, but I really have no idea. This year I'm swimming zoomer-free and hope to work more on the integration of my kick with my stroke. Speaking of which, one of our coaches made a comment about the transition from streamline (or SDK) to swimming the other day. You need to flutter kick first, then bring in the arms. For me if I fail to do that I get pretty discombobulated and it takes me another two or three strokes to get my arms and legs in proper sync. I imagine that's a no-brainer to you TT-type swimmers, but for me (more of a fitness/recreational swimmer who enjoys the occasional meet) it was a small revelation. Skip

Speaking of which, one of our coaches made a comment about the transition from streamline (or SDK) to swimming the other day. You need to flutter kick first, then bring in the arms. "it was a small revelation." Skip Skip - That is so cool that you got the transition figured out! And you're right... it changes everything! No stopping dead in the water if you're a little deep and it makes a great powerful but smooth breakout. Coach Chris Colburn pointed out to me in Clovis that I was breaking out on backstroke with my breakout arm sticking up in the air. I'm a coach and a relatively new backstroker. But I didn't realize it and no one told me in training. That little piece of coaching smoothed out the remainder of the SDK for me. I LOVE when swimmers coach each other! Don't complain about the lack of coaching on deck... rally your team and lane mates to help you. It totally works!

And some masters just use them as a crutch. :cane: It bugs me that some people use them all the time, or worse, put them on at various times during the workout. The lane then has to reshuffle. Small thing, but it certainly is a small flow break. So here is the thing about masters swimmers Skip... They almost all LOVE swimming and or kicking with FINz! Probably even more than fast 25s. I couldn't agree with you more that some use them as a crutch. As a coach, I try to find a way to put a "FINz Set" in every single workout. That way, when I see the gang reach for the fins, I can tell them to save their legs because the FINz set is coming. Some swimmers have real issues with being able to kick well. They can improve - some coaches have the skill to help them - but it also takes patience and willingness from the swimmer. Often they do not want to be bothered. And masters afterall is for fun. So the swimmer and coach have to decide how much they are willing to work for it. Can we all agree though that big FINz and ego are trouble if the fins are not assigned to the set?

An excellent way to work on increasing kick tempo is vertical kicking. At least for me, when the resistance goes up (e.g. raising arms higher out of the water) the kick tempo has to increase to keep your whole head above the water. Love this... need to do more of it! A good way to start a group vertical kicking is to line everyone up at the backstroke flags and face forward - no looking sideways or up at the flags. Start the kick. At the end, check where the swimmers are located relative to the flags. Everyone should be still right underneath the flags. Anyone behind the flags is kicking more forward - or up. Anyone in front of the flags is kicking more backward - or down. The kick should be even forward and back. Or up and down when you're actually swimming. This is actually a fun kick set to do with a group - big or small :)

So here is the thing about masters swimmers Skip... They almost all LOVE swimming and or kicking with FINz! Probably even more than fast 25s. I couldn't agree with you more that some use them as a crutch. As a coach, I try to find a way to put a "FINz Set" in every single workout. That way, when I see the gang reach for the fins, I can tell them to save their legs because the FINz set is coming. Some swimmers have real issues with being able to kick well. They can improve - some coaches have the skill to help them - but it also takes patience and willingness from the swimmer. Often they do not want to be bothered. And masters afterall is for fun. So the swimmer and coach have to decide how much they are willing to work for it. Can we all agree though that big FINz and ego are trouble if the fins are not assigned to the set? Ahelee - I agree with you in regards to FINz except for those who are dealing with shoulder issues. If you are working with a touchy shoulder and choose to use FINz and either only kick or overkick a sprint session, I can totally understand that. And as a coach, I expect that swimmers with various physical issues let me know what they are working with, so I can help them. And swimmers need to be realistic about where they are in their lanes and space themselves as needed. Often one can leave an extra 5 or 10 seconds behind and not cause any issues. --mj

Ahelee - I agree with you in regards to FINz except for those who are dealing with shoulder issues. If you are working with a touchy shoulder and choose to use FINz and either only kick or overkick a sprint session, I can totally understand that. And as a coach, I expect that swimmers with various physical issues let me know what they are working with, so I can help them. And swimmers need to be realistic about where they are in their lanes and space themselves as needed. Often one can leave an extra 5 or 10 seconds behind and not cause any issues.--mj Great addition MJ. FINz are a saving grace for swimming with a sore or injured shoulder. But hopefully the swimmer is anxious to find out why their shoulder is hurt if it is a bad technique related issue. The nice thing about masters is that we are all adults. Swimmers have to take responsibility for their roll in lane selection, equipment usage, effort level in workouts - and communication with their coaches. (one of my old coaches told me masters swimmers are simply 10 & unders with credit cards) Coaches by the way, are not mind readers!

The way people can add the kick back to practice is to use fins, gives you speed and works your legs at the same time, abs too if you are doing fly! I'm not crazy about using fins myself since it hurts my ankles so much. But it is certainly fair to assume that for anyone capable of using them while achieving some level of ankle relaxation, it probably remains the most efficient method of stretching the ankles, thus leaving a permanent favorable impact. Again though, me, hell they hurt.

Great addition MJ. FINz are a saving grace for swimming with a sore or injured shoulder. But hopefully the swimmer is anxious to find out why their shoulder is hurt if it is a bad technique related issue. The nice thing about masters is that we are all adults. Swimmers have to take responsibility for their roll in lane selection, equipment usage, effort level in workouts - and communication with their coaches. (one of my old coaches told me masters swimmers are simply 10 & unders with credit cards) Coaches by the way, are not mind readers! I always ask if an injured swimmer knows why they are having shoulder issues and what they are doing to address it - stroke work, pt, etc. And your old coaches comment about us being 10 and unders with credit cards - very, very funny and often true. I coach both groups and had the experience of being on deck twice when swimmers complained about someone going much faster and the offended swimmer was sure that the faster swimmer had a stroke flaw I should correct - kicking with knees too bent. The difference between the 7 year old and the 65 year old in complaint - the 7 year old used an adjective. Really. The. Only. Difference. --mj