Monday, 17 February 2014

Swimming legs

Until this evening the swimming instructors have been stressing that most of the power for freestyle comes from the arms. Today it was suggested to me that I should use my legs a bit more and that some drills would be useful.

Armed with two floats I set off to kick my way through a length or two. It was very hard work and showed quite clearly that I was barely using my legs for propulsion. Having said that, an online article describes how power is not a primary concern; the key thing is learning to not hinder progress with a poor leg action! I can relate to this as it was clear that during the leg drill my legs were higher in the water than when swimming with arm strokes. Low legs are a source of drag and I need all the efficiency I can get! I can relate to issues of foot flexion as during the leg drills I could feel my calf muscles becoming tight so I'm exhibiting typical runner's feet; more flexibility is stated to be beneficial yet again.

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