Swimming is like a house: if the foundation is unstable, the house will fall apart. In order to develop a strong stroke, you have to develop a strong foundation. The foundation to your stroke lies in the body position and the kick.
Kicking on your side helps you to find your balance while practicing your kick. The key to a strong kick is flexibility in the ankles. The kick, which originates at the hip, has a slight bend in the knee and a pointed toe. When kicking on your side, reach one arm forward so that it rests at the surface of the water. Keep the other arm at your side. Your belly button should be facing the wall. Your knees should be facing the wall. Your toes should be facing the wall with a horizontal kick rather than a vertical kick. You can use two different heads positions, but I recommend looking at the bottom of the pool with the water hitting your head in the middle of your cap. To see Michael Phelps talk about kicking on one's side, check out the movie below:
You can also practice your kick in a streamline position. To learn about pop up breathing while kicking in a streamline, see the video below:
No comments:
Post a Comment