So earlier at practice I experimented with flat feet coming off every wall. There was a very noticeable difference. I could surface with ease past the flags, without any DKs. In my first two years of swimming, I have used just the balls (and toes) of my feet in coming off the walls.
Flat feet (that is, both ball and heel) feels a little awkward right now, like any technique change, but I think I'm going to start adjusting to it for permanent use.
Thanks to Jim Thornton who suggested I make this a poll!
You didn't give this as an option, but I am chagrined to admit that sometimes I miss the wall entirely.... And in meets I have been known to graze the wall with my big toe. My coach noticed for one particular swim race that my turns "were kinda weak."
What happened was (yadadadadada) my goggles filled up with water off the blocks, and I was pretty much blind for the whole swim, PLUS I had tucked those tight suckers up under my cap and in my panic felt there was no way to stop and dump out the inner pool. Thus I could not see the wall, nor my lane, nor even the water. (I am very nearsighted anyway; excuses excuses excuses).
When I practice turns from the flags in and feel very powerful, I would say my best turns are when my feet are almost flat on the wall and I allow my knees to be quite bent (in other words, I actually get rather close to the wall).
Ah, so much to be worked on.
You didn't give this as an option, but I am chagrined to admit that sometimes I miss the wall entirely.... And in meets I have been known to graze the wall with my big toe. My coach noticed for one particular swim race that my turns "were kinda weak."
What happened was (yadadadadada) my goggles filled up with water off the blocks, and I was pretty much blind for the whole swim, PLUS I had tucked those tight suckers up under my cap and in my panic felt there was no way to stop and dump out the inner pool. Thus I could not see the wall, nor my lane, nor even the water. (I am very nearsighted anyway; excuses excuses excuses).
When I practice turns from the flags in and feel very powerful, I would say my best turns are when my feet are almost flat on the wall and I allow my knees to be quite bent (in other words, I actually get rather close to the wall).
Ah, so much to be worked on.
