Conf: Freestyle
From: Terry Laughlin
Date: Thursday, February 01, 2007 07:59 AM

On 1/31/2007 1:41:32 PM, Adrien Paquin wrote:

I was wondering whether there are focal points for a 2-Beat Kick?

Adrien,
Great question and topic. Here are some visualizations that have been helpful for me:

1) A long leg. It can be difficult to strike a balance between a leg that bends too easily or too much, and one in which excessive muscular tension may cause cramps or fatigue. Rather than accentuate pointing my toes, I focus on how much "distance" I can put between my foot and hip. This helps me achieve a long, low-tension leg and minimizes foot cramps.

2) A relaxed leg. The leg-lever should be firm, but supple and – like the marionette arm – it's important to relax it at opportune moments. My thigh muscle is engaged during downbeat, but needs to release fully during the downbeat of the other foot. At times I've focused on noticing moments when my leg muscles let go, without compromising the effect of the kick. It's an interesting balance to seek.

3) Kick from the gut. When I feel the work being done in my thighs, I know I'm bending my knee too much. When I feel it originate in my gut, I know I'm kicking right.

4) Proximity of my feet. I sometimes focus on "tapering" both ends of my body - visualizing how fish are shaped. Tapering in the back means having moments when the toes of both feet are extended and touching. I also examine how far apart they are at any time.

5) Kicking up vs. kicking down. While my focus is usually on the downbeat – keeping it crisp, compact and synchronized with the opposite-hand-spear – at times I think about lifting the heel instead – then holding the foot “poised” for the next downbeat. That helped give me a better sense of direction and amplitude of the kick.

6) Heels to the surface. I watched some of the great Mission Viejo girls (best distance group in the US for about 10 straight years) while attending US Nationals in the late 70s and early 80s as a club coach. Tiffany Cohen and Marybeth Linzmeier were great examples. When they swam the 400-800-1500 I recall being mesmerized by watching their heels rhythmically breaking the surface (just barely) in perfect rhythm. I've seen footage of world-record holder Laure Manaudou of France in which I see the same thing.

This youtube clip from the final of the Women's 400 Free in Athens illustrates the differences between the 2-beat (Manaudou) and the 6-beat (Jedrezcak), as well as the driving rhythm of someone who can do a 2BK at an elite level. While watching, try to imagine how you might feel if you could swim like that. I can sustain this kind of power and rhythm when swimming fast 25s – not trying to "sprint" but just to emulate Manaudou's rhythm and whole-body power. It's a seductive sensation – but taxing.

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