[Boyerdavea]

<span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:medium;">OK, after my experience yesterday in the pool using the kick board for 100 meters and practically going know where. I decided to figure out what I am doing wrong. I have read several articles now and am totally confused.</span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Some talked about the number of beats 2, 4, or 6. But didn’t explain what that means.</span></span><br><br><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Others talked about flexibility of the ankle and foot. One talked about flexibility base on 90*, if you can stretch your foot 90* you have poor kick, just over 90* and you have a good kick and if significantly more than 90* you should have a great kick. <b>What? I am totally confused here.</b></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:medium;">I have even see/heard somewhere that triathletes should kick and save there legs for the bike.</span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:medium;">Can someone explain all this to me?</span></span>

 

[LeftRightRepeat]

This would take me a bout a week. I kick and, at best, I go nowhere. More likely, I move backwards.<br><br>
I try to kick in the pool to keep my legs up and help with rotation. In a wetsuit (or with a pull buoy), I pretty much don't kick at all.<br><br>
In additional to "saving your legs", I think it saves lungs too - those big quad muscles use a lot of oxygen.

 

[Stitcher]

Dave...<br><br>
If you sit with your legs straight, and try to point your toes toward the floor....about how far do they get?<br><br>
When I was much more flexible, my toes could touch the floor. Not anymore, but close.<br><br>
The closer to the floor that you toes can touch, the more "floppy" your foot will be in the water, thus making it more like a fin, rather than a club. If your foot is floppy in the water, the TOP of your foot will push down as you kick, thus giving you forward propulsion. If your foot is not floppy, then the tips of your toes are pointing toward the bottom of the pool....very little surface area on the tips of your toes, right?<br><br>
I don't know about degrees of stretching, though.<br><br>
The beats in the kick are the number of times that you kick in relation to an arm cycle.<br><br>
If you get a chance to watch video of elite swimmers, count how many times they kick as they swim (there are tons of videos online). Sprinters tend to kick more quickly.... distance swimmers tend to kick more slowly, although that's not an absolute.

 

[Boyerdavea]

OK, I understand most of what you said. But in relation to your arm cycle and kicking beat, is your arm cycle from when right arm enters what until it enters a second time. Is that one cycle? If so, then is a 2 beat kick done with one kick each time the opposite arm is pulling? Does that make sense?<br><br><br><br>

 

[Stitcher]

<a href="http://www.h2oustonswims.org/articles/wherefore_art_thou_kicking.html" target="_blank">http://www.h2oustonswims.org/article...u_kicking.html</a><br><br>
See if that helps.<br>
One beat per arm <i>stroke</i> is a two beat kick <i>cycle.</i>

 

[3chilipeppers]

I believe a 2 beat kick is 2 kicks per arm stroke (2 on the right, 2 on the left).<br><br>
As far as kicking with a kickboard -- many people just can't do it that well. My DH can't get anywhere. I would start by kicking without a kickboard on your side. It is much easier. Make sure your head is down in the water. As you push your head and chest down in the water, your hips and feet rise. You can kick 10 kicks on one side, then 10 on the other side. Using a kickboard obviously raises your head and chest making it that much harder to kick. Hold the kickboard at the very back and hold it straight out in front of you (arms straight). Kick with your face in the water between your arms. That should make it a little easier to kick and go forward. Many people hold the kickboard further up, therefore, their chest is way up (I can kick on a board like that, but no everyone can). As soon as you pick your head up to breathe, your feet will sink. Men have a harder time kicking because they have more muscle mass, which sinks. Runners also have this problem because their legs are so muscular, and their ankles are usually not as flexible (men are not as flexible in general).<br><br>
I wouldn't worry about beats or flexibility. Instead, work on your body position while kicking. That will automatically make you more efficient. If your legs are dragging behind you, all the kicking in the world will not get you far.

 

[3chilipeppers]

O.K. Maybe I was wrong. I can't imagine kicking only one time per arm stroke unless your arms are going REALLY fast. Is a "beat" 2 kicks (one from each foot) or just one foot? (I haven't read the link above yet, it might answer)<br><br>
Edit: O.K. That answered my question. I think my original answer was correct, but not very clear. I think I do a 2-beat kick, then. I've never really paid much attention, but I don't kick very much at all for distance.

 

[Stitcher]

I tend to do 3 beat kicks ..... but lately, it's gotten faster.<br><br>
But, it's a more natural motion for me and I don't think about it a whole lot....<br>
running? I think about.<br>
swimming? not so much.

 

[Boyerdavea]

Article makes sense. Now I guess I need to pay attention to my kick, next time I swim. Don't know how I am going to do that. I still think way to much about my stroke. If i concentrate on my legs I may forget to stroke. Hmmm!

 

[3chilipeppers]

Isolate them. Work on just your kick first, then just your stroke (with pull buoy and one arm drills). Once you get them down where you are thinking less, then put them back together. It takes some time, but I know you'll get it together eventually. Just be patient and do the drills. They really do help. I was a swimmer (sort of), but I was never a freestyler. So, I've had to really work on drills. I don't like drills, but they do help a lot. I've had to really work on body roll and getting glide instead of just stroking really fast. I can do it on backstroke, but I've never done it well on freestyle.

 

[Stitcher]

I struggle on BK....not when going slow....or doing drills....but doing it race pace.<br><br>
The rhythm between my kick and my arms all goes to hell......especially on distances over 100 yds.<br><br>
THat's one of the reasons I'm doing 200 BK this weekend....to figure out how to pace a longer distance in BK stroke.<br><br>
Actually, somehow I ended up entering 50, 100, and 200 BK this weekend (mostly how the order of events falls).....<br>
ACK!<br><br>
I'd rather do 50, 100, 200, AND 500 FR than that. but, that's what I get for asking for the swim coach to pick the events that will be "fun AND challenging." lol

 

[RunningForT3]

First of all, as someone once said: We are triathletes, we don't kick! <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
I only do 50 with the kickboard as warmpup, because I can't waste more than 10 minutes on this <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
If I do any kicking drills, I'd do them without the kickboard, on the side, one hand pointing forward. Tithers explained it best: with the kickboard I'm a barge, on the side I'm a yacht.