I'm having problems with my Butterfly kick for the last 6 months. I have to work my upper body harder then it has to to win a race. Any ideas on how to improve the kick? Thanks.
Parents
Former Member
Just a couple of more ideas on this:
1) Relax your neck muscles so that your not forcing your head to bob up and down. You want a relax neck because that will translate the subtle up-down motions of the back of your head down through your spine and sternum to your hips and eventually your knees and feet. As the "wave" (energy) travels down your body it builds almost on it's own. So do the kick sets the guys here have suggested, but experiment with your body's reactions by first relaxing and then over time figuring out where the effort should come in.
2) My dolphin kick got better when I started doing a few 200s of dolphin kick on my sides (one arm extended, the other down at my side). Being on your side emphasises where your legs are... Are you bending your knees too much, if so then you can't keep a straight line or you loose momentum at the apex of each kick. If you don't bend them enough (which is a rare problem) then the tops of your feet might feel very strained because the wave action stops at your ankles and the energy doesn't dispate through your toes.
Remember to relax, and take your time to analyze your stroke overall. When you think you've really got it go back to doing the faster paced/sprint work.
Just a couple of more ideas on this:
1) Relax your neck muscles so that your not forcing your head to bob up and down. You want a relax neck because that will translate the subtle up-down motions of the back of your head down through your spine and sternum to your hips and eventually your knees and feet. As the "wave" (energy) travels down your body it builds almost on it's own. So do the kick sets the guys here have suggested, but experiment with your body's reactions by first relaxing and then over time figuring out where the effort should come in.
2) My dolphin kick got better when I started doing a few 200s of dolphin kick on my sides (one arm extended, the other down at my side). Being on your side emphasises where your legs are... Are you bending your knees too much, if so then you can't keep a straight line or you loose momentum at the apex of each kick. If you don't bend them enough (which is a rare problem) then the tops of your feet might feel very strained because the wave action stops at your ankles and the energy doesn't dispate through your toes.
Remember to relax, and take your time to analyze your stroke overall. When you think you've really got it go back to doing the faster paced/sprint work.
