Swimming.....the kick

MalDoc

Hi All,
Looking for any advice/suggestions on improving my non-existent kick.
I gave it another few attempts this evening and cannot kick a length.
After the initial momentum gained from the push off the wall I cease to move around halfway (25m).
Put a pair of fins on and I glide down the lane.
Any ideas?

RacoonQueen

MalDoc wrote: »

Hi All,
Looking for any advice/suggestions on improving my non-existent kick.
I gave it another few attempts this evening and cannot kick a length.
After the initial momentum gained from the push off the wall I cease to move around halfway (25m).
Put a pair of fins on and I glide down the lane.
Any ideas?

Keep trying. The only thing that will improve your kick is to keep doing kick sets.

Have you had anyone watch your kick? Are you kicking properly?

MalDoc

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Keep trying. The only thing that will improve your kick is to keep doing kick sets.

Have you had anyone watch your kick? Are you kicking properly?

I got 3 lessons recently. Emphasis was put on kicking up towards the ceiling and then letting the foot fall naturally. Is this right? I know very little momentum is gained from the kick but I'm getting none.

I'll have to dedicate a session to doing nothing but kicking.

Kurt Godel

Point your toes back from you- increased paddle from your foot.
Kick from your hip- don't kick from your knees.
Heel should be exiting the water a bit on upswing- create a bit of a splash.
You don't just get propulsion from the down kick- remember to kick up too.
Kick drills- hold the board out straight in front and kick for 50m; repeat.
Work on your core.
Work on your core some more.

RacoonQueen

MalDoc wrote: »

I got 3 lessons recently. Emphasis was put on kicking up towards the ceiling and then letting the foot fall naturally. Is this right? I know very little momentum is gained from the kick but I'm getting none.

Interested is the man with the lingo to answer that.

MalDoc wrote: »

I'll have to dedicate a session to doing nothing but kicking.

Kicking like all aspects of swimming improves with practice. You could do a kick focused session but a session of nothing but kicking won't improve you overnight. You need to do a kick set in EVERY swim and be patient.

Think about your kick more when you're swimming.

Relax with the kick board, kick from the hip, your quads are meant to burn, that means you're doing it right.

If you can't do 25m of kick without stopping you need a lot of practice, either that or you can't take the pain and need to stop being a wus.

promethius

yeah def wouldn't do any sessions of just kicking, especially when you're not used to it, could lead to an injury.
build it into every session like RQ says.

The Lost Sheep

As the others have said just add kick drills to your sets and do a kick set every time you train. Lots and lots of practice is the only way to improve

BohToffee

I used to swim competitively was never a great kicker thus was never very competitive... I struggled with keeping my foot flexed toward the wall I was leaving and got told to sit watching tv with feet under the body helps with the flex.. That and as others have said kick from hips..

interested

Wearing fins forces your toes to be pointed when kicking and 'encourages' you to flex the ankles (additionally it dramatically increases the surface area of your feet)

Whats been said already is good advice:

- if using a board, hold it with both hands at the top of the board, keep it flat on top of the water (resist urge to lean on it burying it) and keep chin on top of water, and try to breath normally ...
- stretch out your body as much as possible, ideal position, flat on water
- point toes, long legs, shallow fast kick - kick from the hip, then flex the knees and let ankles loose (as if they're broken ) - there should be a small splash as the heels break the water but feet should be kicking down in the water
- keep the feet together ... often people kick with a gap between them ... if they're together the kick is more effective at keeping your body position on top of water.

The kick keeps the body position high (hips high in water) which will help keep momentum, allow you to leverage strong arm pull without 'hauling' your lower half through the water and make swimming considerably easier.

Keep at it .... warm up ... 10 or 20 or 30 * 25s kick with 5' rest ... if you don't actually train / practice your kick it won't progress (and of course don't actually forget to use it whilst swimming a more common issue than you'd think). For all swimmers and not just at the OP.

niamh.foley

hi all,

I'm just nosing around and came across this Thread, i came across this article

http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2014/01/24/supercharge-your-swim-kick

Its taken from Sara McLarty blog, i do say she does have great workout's,

she posts a new blog every Monday with 3 Swim Workouts for your swim sets for the week.

http://mastersswimworkoutsbysaramclarty.blogspot.co.uk/

Also here is a nice drill to try out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OuBR7qI9BY

woody1

interested wrote: »

- point toes, long legs, shallow fast kick - kick from the hip, then flex the knees and let ankles loose (as if they're broken ) - there should be a small splash as the heels break the water but feet should be kicking down in the water

ok..i always thought the legs were to be rigid from hips to ankles, this could help a bit, i have the same issue as op, i have fast shallow kick at the top of the water alright but i have little or no propulsion from it, ankle flexibility also a big issue, regularly get foot cramps on kicking drills..

redved

woody1 wrote: »

ok..i always thought the legs were to be rigid from hips to ankles, this could help a bit, i have the same issue as op, i have fast shallow kick at the top of the water alright but i have little or no propulsion from it, ankle flexibility also a big issue, regularly get foot cramps on kicking drills..

I think we need to form a support group. I can't manage more than 5 -10m with kick alone. Its like time stands still....

interested

yep, theres gotta be flex in the leg ... its a whipping motion - shallow, fast, steady, constant, if you stop kicking propulsion / momentum stops .. hips drop .. starting again takes more energy etc etc ....


flex != bent knee ... you that and your hips drop .... avoid a rigid leg < sounds so wrong but Im gonna leave it ...

Chartsengrafs

redved wrote: »

I think we need to form a support group. I can't manage more than 5 -10m with kick alone. Its like time stands still....

I was the same about 12 months ago but can get through my 300/400m sets now.
My advice:

1. Listen to interested and do what he says above!!!
2. When you're at the point where you can't do a length kicking (which is where I was) you need to start bringing your float to the pool and doing a kick set after your warm up, EVERY time you go to the pool. It just won't improve otherwise.

woody1

interested wrote: »

yep, theres gotta be flex in the leg ... its a whipping motion - shallow, fast, steady, constant, if you stop kicking propulsion / momentum stops .. hips drop .. starting again takes more energy etc etc ....


flex != bent knee ... you that and your hips drop .... avoid a rigid leg < sounds so wrong but Im gonna leave it ...

thanks.. just watched a few videos there and that makes sense..now to try to apply it ..

MalDoc

Thanks folks, some sound advice above.

Had a look at a few videos last night that helped. Link below:
http://www.theraceclub.com/videos/secret-tip-legs-propulsion/

Managed 8 lengths kicking this morning. I don't think I got under a minute for any of them. Still, It's a start.
Quads and hip flexors felt it after just 200m so must have been doing something right.

Fluffybums

First things first, can you point your toes so that it forms a straight-line (apart from the bump of your instep) from the toe through to the tibia? Can you hold that point comfortably? If your foot is not flexible, the kick will always be weak no matter how hard you try, in which case you need to use it to balance your stroke. Also your pull provides around 80% of the propulsion, so work on your leg kick so that it allows you to maintain your body position and to balance your arms. Work with training fins and over short distances. The kick originates in the thigh but the legs should be relatively soft, even with the toes pointed.