A bad FS idea!
A bad FS idea!
by Don Wright Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:01 am
For several years now, I have been "quacking"(aka "shooting off my big mouth"!) about an idea which seemed to me an interesting variant instead of doing a normal FS flutter kick. I thought it analogous to picking up the end of a rope laid out on the ground and giving it a shake in order to send a ripple down it.
I have now (at long last) come to realize that it is a duff idea! As one of my several FS variants, I have been using a quick vigorous downward flick of the hip as an arm on that same side enters the water. So it was only a 2-beat action anyway - but the advantage to me is that my awkward feet (irredeemably inflexible ankles/insteps!) don't protrude into the water flow beneath the body so much, as when normal flutter kicking. The hip flick did generate a wave along the completely relaxed legs - but only on the same side as the hip that did the flick downwards - the other leg behaved in an uncontrolled way.
I had noticed several times, that a good FS swimmer in the adjacent lane kept gradually overtaking me - while I thought I was doing my best "quick hip flick 1 length dashes" (followed by a rest).
"Hey! - that was supposed to be one of my best efforts!" I thought. OK so maybe the chap was a lot younger/fitter than me - but then this week I discovered another major failing in the idea.
As a result of efforts to improve my normal flutter kicking ability (aided by "Sprinter"'s advice) - in an effort to improve my current "on the side flutter kicking" rate (which hovers around the painfully slow 5-6 secs/metre rate - i.e. just "dribbling along"!) - I decided to try this quick hip flick idea while on the side! Result - a demoralizing disappointment - movement forwards was almost negligible!
So this post is a bit of a "confession". I think I went astray thinking that the introduction of undulation (or ripple) into the relaxed leg action would give good results - it didn't in my case (despite me thinking that the end of the ripple action would be a tiny thrust backwards with the foot, providing some propulsion)!!!
I have now (at long last) come to realize that it is a duff idea! As one of my several FS variants, I have been using a quick vigorous downward flick of the hip as an arm on that same side enters the water. So it was only a 2-beat action anyway - but the advantage to me is that my awkward feet (irredeemably inflexible ankles/insteps!) don't protrude into the water flow beneath the body so much, as when normal flutter kicking. The hip flick did generate a wave along the completely relaxed legs - but only on the same side as the hip that did the flick downwards - the other leg behaved in an uncontrolled way.
I had noticed several times, that a good FS swimmer in the adjacent lane kept gradually overtaking me - while I thought I was doing my best "quick hip flick 1 length dashes" (followed by a rest).
"Hey! - that was supposed to be one of my best efforts!" I thought. OK so maybe the chap was a lot younger/fitter than me - but then this week I discovered another major failing in the idea.
As a result of efforts to improve my normal flutter kicking ability (aided by "Sprinter"'s advice) - in an effort to improve my current "on the side flutter kicking" rate (which hovers around the painfully slow 5-6 secs/metre rate - i.e. just "dribbling along"!) - I decided to try this quick hip flick idea while on the side! Result - a demoralizing disappointment - movement forwards was almost negligible!
So this post is a bit of a "confession". I think I went astray thinking that the introduction of undulation (or ripple) into the relaxed leg action would give good results - it didn't in my case (despite me thinking that the end of the ripple action would be a tiny thrust backwards with the foot, providing some propulsion)!!!
Don Wright- Posts : 223
Join date : 2017-07-11
Age : 87
Location : Telford, Shropshire
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