I once had a terrific boss who taught me a lot not only about work, but life. One thing he taught me and that I've lived by ever since is to constantly ask yourself "Does what I'm doing make sense?"
Applying that question to kicking drills has made me wonder. I have read more than once that (other than in breaststroke) kicking a) is used to maintain your body's position in the water, b) that you derive little or no propulsion from it (other than perhaps when sprinting), c) kicking hard can actually increase your drag and slow you down, and d) kicking hard more than doubles your energy use.
Given those four things, I'd like to know your thoughts (and not just knee-jerk reactions) from both swimmers and coaches, regardless of your experience level:
Does it make sense for us to use a large part of our practice time and energy doing kicking drills?
Do we derive any real benefit from doing so?
Do we do it because it actually helps us be better swimmers (which would make sense), or do we do it because "that's the way it's always been done" (which makes no sense at all).
Keep on strokin'!
Parents
Former Member
"In relation to kicking, I hear alot about six beat kicks, two beat kicks, etc. I had never heard that term prior to the Olympics, so this may be a silly question, but what exactly do you mean by a six beat kick or a two beat kick, etc."
The kick refers to how many kicks in a stroke cycle. You have a six beat kick if you take 6 kicks during 1 stroke cycle. A six beat kick requires extensive training to withstand.
As for the original question of is a good kick beneficial? I do not see how it could be detrimental unless you were not sufficiently trained to withstand it. Any propulsion it gives has got to outweigh the drag that it creates, but only if you are trained to do so. I would sacrifice the kick before I would sacrifice stroke efficiency. If the kick slows you down because you cannot maintain good stroke mechanics then it is not a good thing. Also, if it tires you out faster in a long race, it is not a good thing. But, it you can save it and have trained it, it can be a very good thing.
An incredible 6 beat kick... Brian Goodell. Ask him if it was beneficial.
"In relation to kicking, I hear alot about six beat kicks, two beat kicks, etc. I had never heard that term prior to the Olympics, so this may be a silly question, but what exactly do you mean by a six beat kick or a two beat kick, etc."
The kick refers to how many kicks in a stroke cycle. You have a six beat kick if you take 6 kicks during 1 stroke cycle. A six beat kick requires extensive training to withstand.
As for the original question of is a good kick beneficial? I do not see how it could be detrimental unless you were not sufficiently trained to withstand it. Any propulsion it gives has got to outweigh the drag that it creates, but only if you are trained to do so. I would sacrifice the kick before I would sacrifice stroke efficiency. If the kick slows you down because you cannot maintain good stroke mechanics then it is not a good thing. Also, if it tires you out faster in a long race, it is not a good thing. But, it you can save it and have trained it, it can be a very good thing.
An incredible 6 beat kick... Brian Goodell. Ask him if it was beneficial.
