When racing do you kick while swimming …or do you just use your arms and save your legs?
I kick, but it is more from the hips than the knees. With the body roll going, it is pretty natural to keep the propulsion going, but doesn’t wear out your legs.
When racing do you kick while swimming …or do you just use your arms and save your legs?
I suggest doing a search on this topic, it has been covered extensively recent. To summerize, the kick is THE most important aspect of swimming efficiently. So to answer your Q…ABSOLUTELY
i dont think its the MOST important aspect. probably body rotation or position.
kick as much as you need to keep you legs up. its probably going to be a two beat, two beat cross over, or a 4 beat kick.
My kick doesn’t look like much, but it actually generates a fair amount of propulsion when needed. Kick is, in its own way, just as much about technique as arm movement and body position are. You want an efficient kick so you can get something out of it without having to use much effort for it.
If/when I’m actually thinking about it, I kick a little less vigorously, but still kick some just for stability. Mostly, however, I’m just trying to stay relaxed and focusing on other things like positioning around other swimmers, thinking ahead to transition, or just trying to be smooth and steady, so then you pretty much revert to whatever feels comfortable. However you normally kick during training will end up how you’ll kick during a race, except maybe reduced by some small % as a function of the wetsuit. The obvious exception would be kicking more for the occasional burst of speed if you need to try to get away from some jack-off who keeps veering into you or trying to catch a draft up ahead, then chill back to normal. For me, trying not to kick actually requires conscious effort, so I think it would be counterproductive moreso than any savings.
When wearing a full 5m wetsuit, not much at all. When wearing just a speedo, then kick what is comfortable for you, but do not force more than you have trained for…
i dont think its the MOST important aspect. probably body rotation or position.
kick as much as you need to keep you legs up. its probably going to be a two beat, two beat cross over, or a 4 beat kick.
Body position and rotation are helped immensely by a proper kick. I don’t think a good kick is THE most important aspect, especially for a distance swimmer, but it is a vital element.
John
IM - no.
HIM - a little.
Oly - a little more.
50’s or 100’s in the pool - a lot.
50’s or 100’s in the pool - a lot.
Why?
John
When racing do you kick while swimming …or do you just use your arms and save your legs?
kick minimally…only enough to maintain balance and rotation.
When I am wearing a wetsuit I can do the whole race with no kicking (I don’t rely on my kick for rotation, but some people do).
It’s actually faster for most people…probably would be for all people if they became proficient in swimming without legs.
And I’m only referring to races that are 400-500meters and longer.
Because most swimmers who are doing a 50 or 100 are doing a sprint and that does not last long therefore the stronger kick. If you run a 800 meter race do you run the 10k the same way? john you were kidding right? that is the same as I do harder for sprints, longer less kick to conserve.
Because most swimmers who are doing a 50 or 100 are doing a sprint and that does not last long therefore the stronger kick. If you run a 800 meter race do you run the 10k the same way? john you were kidding right? that is the same as I do harder for sprints, longer less kick to conserve.
I do about the same kicking for a 500m as a 1500m swim. I could care less about making my kick stronger in the pool for 50’s and 100’s. I’m relying primarily on my arms for events, why work the kick that much harder in the pool? I want to increase my speed by using the same stroke patterns that I would in competition, rather than relying on a propulsion mechanism that I will use in an extremely limited fashion if at all during a race.
If I were training for 200m or below sprints in the pool, yeah, I’d be training my kick harder. Once you have a solid, established kick pattern that complements your stroke, I don’t see the need for developing it further for triathletes.
John
****** I do about the same kicking for a 500m as a 1500m swim. I could care less about making my kick stronger in the pool for 50’s and 100’s. I’m relying primarily on my arms for events**
If you are in the last 50 meters of a race with a guy that beats you EVERY TIME ( U know who he is.) in the swim that extra kick and stroke to go with it will come in handy. Even if you get out of the water a second or two ahead this time. Would you not be happier knowing the 50 sprints in the pool paid some divedends?
****** I do about the same kicking for a 500m as a 1500m swim. I could care less about making my kick stronger in the pool for 50’s and 100’s. I’m relying primarily on my arms for events**
If you are in the last 50 meters of a race with a guy that beats you EVERY TIME ( U know who he is.) in the swim that extra kick and stroke to go with it will come in handy. Even if you get out of the water a second or two ahead this time. Would you not be happier knowing the 50 sprints in the pool paid some divedends?
Hrm. I guess in that extreme scenario, then yes, a few 50 sprints in the pool won’t kill you.
John
50’s or 100’s in the pool - a lot.
Why?
John
Because it’s fun.
Anything done fast is fun. Ummm…well almost anything…
I was taught in the early 1070’s to use a 2 beat kick for “distance swimming”. The kick was “just for balance,” didn’t add much propulsion, and used too much energy. That thinking is now completely wrong. Many coaches tried to change my kick when I was heavy into masters swimming but I just could never manage more than a 4 beat crossover kick. Now my two beat kick is perfect for ironman. I still go fast and save my legs for the bike and run.
It can if you can flex your foot the right normal way.
Someone or some company could MAKE A FORTUNE developing a fin which bent the foot and toes forward into plantar flexion. Maybe with some kind of wire or line. The problem for many of us, with kicking, who if you took a kickboard and sent us out there, to kick a lap or two, many of us would actually go backward because the foot can’t fllex very well, due to our age and running or biking tightness. Many of us can’t curl our toes forward in the direction of our heel.
i dont think its the MOST important aspect. probably body rotation or position.
kick as much as you need to keep you legs up. its probably going to be a two beat, two beat cross over, or a 4 beat kick.
Your comment is half correct. Body rotation or position are important, but you cannot acheive them without a decent kick, so kick IS the most important.
QED.
To the OP, the kick is the core to swimming. You cannot maintain good form, technique, body position, speed etc without a foundation, and that is kick. Experienced swimmers can flutter kick and gain everything they need. In experienced swimmers with stiff ankles accomplish nothing with the same effort, so they need to work harding in workouts to accomplish this level of skill. “Kick as much as you need to keep you legs up. its probably going to be a two beat, two beat cross over, or a 4 beat kick.” - you do this with practise and hard work.