We love to SDK. It's the 5th stroke. It takes skill, strength, flexibility, conditioning & mental toughness.
For many it's the 2nd fastest stroke, but it's not a legal stroke.
We wish it was legal. We wish there weren't 15 m restrictions in races.
We count our kicks because kicks count.
We train to SDK faster. Some call SDKs underwaters or dolphins.
What are you doing to improve your SDK?
How many do you take in each race?
Help! My SDK is Horrible! has many tips & a program to get faster.
Here's a helpful post in it.
What are your SDK times?
15, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150 & 200?
Spend some time in the SDK lane & you'll be kicking faster before you know it.
the breastroke lane
The Middle Distance Lane
The Backstroke Lane
The Butterfly Lane
The SDK Lane
The Taper Lane
The Distance Lane
The IM Lane
The Sprint Free Lane
The Pool Deck
When I started swimming again about 4.5 years ago, I was only taking 2-3 SDK's off each wall. I've slowly developed the ability to take more of them. I mention this because I've had other swimmers ask me how I stay underwater so long. There's no secret - just do as many SDK's as you can off every wall. Over time, you will improve!
In training, I'm up to 10+ off every wall in backstroke, usually 7 or 8 in freestyle, and 7+ in butterfly. In short course races, the amount of SDK's I take decreases throughout the race - I take 12 off the start regardless of the event, but might be down to 6 or 7 off the final wall for a longer race. In long course, I try not to decrease as much.
In the 400 IM, I've learned not to take more than 4-6 SDK's to start the backstroke. Any more will lead to lactic acid issues. I'm not sure why this is true in the 400 IM and not the 200 fly, since I swim the first 100 of those events exactly the same, but there it is. In a short course 400 IM, I try to build the number of SDK's that I take throughout the backstroke, say 4-5-6-7.
One interesting effect of all the SDK training is that long breastroke pullouts don't faze me anymore. I did a 200 SCY breastroke in January and was surprised to beat some breastroke specialists in my heat because I outlasted them on the pullouts, especially in the second 100. In long course, they would destroy me!
When I started swimming again about 4.5 years ago, I was only taking 2-3 SDK's off each wall. I've slowly developed the ability to take more of them. I mention this because I've had other swimmers ask me how I stay underwater so long. There's no secret - just do as many SDK's as you can off every wall. Over time, you will improve!
In training, I'm up to 10+ off every wall in backstroke, usually 7 or 8 in freestyle, and 7+ in butterfly. In short course races, the amount of SDK's I take decreases throughout the race - I take 12 off the start regardless of the event, but might be down to 6 or 7 off the final wall for a longer race. In long course, I try not to decrease as much.
In the 400 IM, I've learned not to take more than 4-6 SDK's to start the backstroke. Any more will lead to lactic acid issues. I'm not sure why this is true in the 400 IM and not the 200 fly, since I swim the first 100 of those events exactly the same, but there it is. In a short course 400 IM, I try to build the number of SDK's that I take throughout the backstroke, say 4-5-6-7.
One interesting effect of all the SDK training is that long breastroke pullouts don't faze me anymore. I did a 200 SCY breastroke in January and was surprised to beat some breastroke specialists in my heat because I outlasted them on the pullouts, especially in the second 100. In long course, they would destroy me!
