Need some freestyle kicking help.
Need some freestyle kicking help.
During practice I am normally the one of the first people in the lane, but during kick sets I go last. Do you have any tips on how to become a faster (freestyle) kicker? My coach says my form is fine, but something must be off. Are there things I can do either in or outside of the pool to improve my kick?
Check your ankle flexibility
If your coach says your form is fine, then you should try improving your ankle flexibility. First, test it. Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight out in front of you, barefoot, with your toes pointed toward the ceiling. Now point your toes as far as you can. Can you get the tops of your feet to horizontal? Further? Elite kickers can touch their toes to the ground in front of their feet from this position. If yours isn't great, try this stretch:1. Roll up a regular bath towel (or use any other 2-inch pad you can find)2. Sit on your knees, with your feet underneath your butt.3. Place the towel or pad underneath the tops of your feet. This will pull your feet into plantar flexion.4. Sit like this for 5 minutes at a time, then relax. Repeat as often as is comfortable to improve your ankle flexibility.
Ryan Woodruff
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com
your core
Be sure that you are kicking from your core and that your body is one unit. If your kick is deriving it's power from the knees down, it will be hard to keep up.
how much kicking do you do at
how much kicking do you do at a practice? For how long have you been doing that? In my opinion, the kick is the hardest part of the stroke to develop. Human legs are largely ineffecient when compared to arms, yet the quads/glutes are huge muscles that use up lots of fuel.