Balls, flat, or clueless? [feet off the walls]

Are you? Not only a swimmer, but a masters coach too. As I said, Try it!

When you want to improve your turns you’ll need to strenghten you hip and thigh flexor muscles or your Pectineus, Sartrorius muscles, Gastrocnemius and the Soleus (they’re crucial in jumping). There are a lot of plyometric exercises along with squats, lunges, and bounding exercises that will also help you. Here’s a list of other exercises that can help you get you or your swimmers off the wall faster and farther. Don't do things that hurt. Pain and potential injury usually occurs when you do the exercises incorrectly. You don't have to do things that hurt you to get off the walls better. Find and exercise that you like and slowly increase stress to improve. Bounding Lunges Deep Knee Bends Deep Knee Bend Jumps Toe Raises Toe-Raise with Weights Jumping Rope Get your foot on the wall and use all the muscles listed above. I hope some of you are with me and teach good turns. Good luck, Coach T.

I looked at several high jumpers videos, and it looks like they are flat footed with every step on the approach, including their launch. This one has the clearest video: YouTube - Men's High Jump (Slow Motion) - Greg Shroka clears 7 feet (Slo-mo begins at the 1:00 mark) Interesting, since I always thought they ran on their toes. Also interesting is tomtopo's Michael Phelps video. Near the end, they show his backstroke start. There, he is on his toes. I'm no racer - why would this be different?

Jeeeeeez!!! You guys will be touching the walls with your elbows next!!

I looked at several high jumpers videos, and it looks like they are flat footed with every step on the approach, including their launch. This one has the clearest video: YouTube - Men's High Jump (Slow Motion) - Greg Shroka clears 7 feet (Slo-mo begins at the 1:00 mark) Interesting, since I always thought they ran on their toes. Also interesting is tomtopo's Michael Phelps video. Near the end, they show his backstroke start. There, he is on his toes. I'm no racer - why would this be different? The angle of the body isn't conducive for a flat foot start. If their was an angled starting block (like track) the foot could have full contact on a surface.

When you want to improve your turns you’ll need to strenghten you hip and thigh flexor muscles or your Pectineus, Sartrorius muscles, Gastrocnemius and the Soleus (they’re crucial in jumping). There are a lot of plyometric exercises along with squats, lunges, and bounding exercises that will also help you. Here’s a list of other exercises that can help you get you or your swimmers off the wall faster and farther. Bounding Lunges Deep Knee Bends Deep Knee Bend Jumps Toe Raises Toe-Raise with Weights Jumping Rope Get your foot on the wall and use all the muscles listed above. I hope some of you are with me and teach good turns. Good luck, Coach T.I have good power in the mentioned areas, I just suck at turning probably because I taught myself and never been coached (as well as coordination challenges at times perhaps). I think a good turn just requires timing, position, streamline, and executing all this stuff together. I will try flat foot again, but the last time I tried it sent me launching towards the bottom, but at good speed.

I don't seem to have the calf flexibility necessary to get my feet flat on the wall (at least not easily). Perhaps my legs are in the wrong position? I am surprised that no one has said anything about whether the average swimmer (not your top swimmer) will be faster this way. It seems to me that one possibility is that your average swimmer will spend more time on the wall with a flat-footed push, even if (as some have argued here) you are able to push off farther.

Michael Phelps does it. Natalie Coughlin does it. Brendan Hansen does it. I've listened to some of the best coaches in the world describe the collapse of the foot onto the wall. Yike, don't get personal, just look at the videos. You'll find world class athletes, push-off the wall from a flat foot. Michael Phelp's coach works to improve his stroke, it must mean he doesn't do things perfectly. If we coach from what we believe is correct doesn't make it correct. Sorry this discussion has gotten you briefs in a gather. Take a deep breath. I concede that some swimmers don't push-off from a flat foot and my contention is that if the learned how to push-off from a flat foot they'd go farther and faster. Your contention is that I'm wrong. I can live with that but the insults aren't necessary. Link the videos. I thought about this post during workout today and I NEVER EVER pushed off with a flat foot. Not even when starting a set from a push. The only flat foot I use is on the start on the blocks. I even tried it (a flat foot flip turn) and talk about screwed up.....we aren't doing squats underwater on the push. I'm with the previous poster....this is BAD advice IMHO. In 30 plus years of swimming I've never heard it. Using it as a "drill" to build power in the legs is one thing, but I'd never coach this to someone to use in competition....EVER.

It's not just a push. It's flipping into the right position quickly and getting off the wall quickly, too.

the balls have it