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!
Another wrinkle to consider.
If you look at Phelps's push off with fly, it does look like he has the whole foot surface on the wall.
With freestyle, it's harder to see, but it looks like it's a little less whole foot and a little more balls o' feet.
Hypothesis 1. The short axis strokes, which require you to touch the wall with both hands (and for many of us, grab the wall!), swimmers are more likely to place the entire sole surface on the wall before pushing off.
In the long axis strokes, which allow flip turns and no hand touches required, we don't have to get quite as close to the wall and can thus bounce off with more of a balls o' feet push-and-go.
As far as power from the actual push goes, it would be interesting to see if high jumpers plant their whole feet before the leap, or if they jump from the toe-not-heel position. I am pretty sure track sprinters run the latter way, and they don't seem to be losing much "push" because of it.
I paid attention to this today, and my heels actually never touch. They get the closest when I flip too late and need to absorb the extra shock. I really thought I flattened my foot more before the push, but I do not.
(I don't think I'll ever go fast enough to actually touch the wall with my ...)
I voted clueless because I am not sure how my feet push off. I will try to figure it out the next time I swim.
......
I had to answer:
"I have no idea. You will have to ask my coach!"
Mr. Phelps, please forgive me for slandering you in my mind!
:D:bow:
I voted "flat" but I realized today that I actually push off the balls of my feet (so, I guess I should have voted "clueless"). I tried pushing flat footed but found it very awkward.
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.
Balls of the feet it is and barring injury, always will be. I think if you talked to some exercise physiologists they would tell you that jumping, or in our case pushing off with the balls of your feet is much more efficient than "whole foot". I honestly have no idea if I was ever coached on this.
It's very difficult to get your feet flat on the wall but that shouldn't stop swimmers from trying. The soleus (located behind the calf muscle or gastroc) is the primary mover when a swimmer pushes off the wall from the balls of their feet. Getting off the wall the furthest and the fastest is derived from a flat foot and in underwater slow motion video many world class swimmers will collapse from the balls of the feet during the initial contact and onto a flat foot. When you watch closely, you'll notice swimmers using the balls of their feet and those who collapse. It's very difficult to get your feet on the wall but that shouldn't stop any swimmer from doing it the best way. The transition from the collapsing makes swimmers feel like they're jumping off a trampoline (at least it's been described in various videos by world class swimming coach's that way). Good luck, Coach T.
Well I voted clueless, but in practice I tend to push of lightly with my heels and mainly with the balls against the tiled/concrete wall.
In competition off the slightly springy pads I slam those feet completely against them as hard as I can (at least I think I do)
Yep - Clueless was right - today even in competition I went off the balls of my feet. Guess I'm not so clueless now.
