I have always been terrible at kick, and I believe it holds me back, so I want to make some improvements. As an age group swimmer, we would train lots of 50m kick on 60 secs, and I would struggle at that pace, and now I am older and heavier than I was then.
Physically I am 6'2" and about 225#, but my feet don't measure up at all at size 8, with a high arch and hammer toes. I don't want to make excuses, but this may be why my feet struggle to catch the water properly. I know this means I'm going to struggle, but I am looking to do the best with what I have.
What should I do in training to:
Improve feel for the water and effectiveness of kick?
Greatly improve kicking endurance?
Keep my kick "switched on" when doing full stroke?
Are there other factors I should consider?
5x100 kick sets make me laugh. I cannot make 25yd kicking in any amount of time. I literally come to a dead stop in the water after a few yards. But I try anyway.
When they talk about ankle flexibility, they don't really mean the ankle. It's all about the extensor tendons from the shin down along the top of the foot. I was a runner 40+ years before getting into swimming seriously and running not only doesn't stretch those tendons, it compresses them. A good kick needs your foot to be almost in-line flat with the leg in order for it to act like a flipper, not at a 45 degree angle.
If the foot enters the water at a 45deg. angle the thrust from upward motion and downward motion actually cancel each other out. So do foot forward & down stretches to elongate those tendons. It will take a long time and often will cause muscle cramps in the shins and feet.
5x100 kick sets make me laugh. I cannot make 25yd kicking in any amount of time. I literally come to a dead stop in the water after a few yards. But I try anyway.
When they talk about ankle flexibility, they don't really mean the ankle. It's all about the extensor tendons from the shin down along the top of the foot. I was a runner 40+ years before getting into swimming seriously and running not only doesn't stretch those tendons, it compresses them. A good kick needs your foot to be almost in-line flat with the leg in order for it to act like a flipper, not at a 45 degree angle.
If the foot enters the water at a 45deg. angle the thrust from upward motion and downward motion actually cancel each other out. So do foot forward & down stretches to elongate those tendons. It will take a long time and often will cause muscle cramps in the shins and feet.
