legs either frog or seaweed

[anjaswim]

Hello,

I've been practicing for a few months now (thanks for the last tips, they were very helpful)

I'm struggling with my legs. I just can't get the right feel for them. I realized that I do more like a breast stroke kick (knees too much bent). (I guess that comes from 35 years of breast stroke and never really doing any free style.)

So I have started to not use my legs at all, just to get a feel for how my legs and back move while I stroke. What happens is that then I seem to drag my legs behind me like a happy piece of seaweed, right below the surface but I still can't really figure out how to use them a bit more productively. It's quite amazing that I can still swim with such ease, since i have no upper body strength to speak of (and I could never do free style at all before learning a bit of TI). but I'm of course slow and my legs get a bit bored (and it must look very silly). And most importantly I want to get it right!!

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

-anja

[daveblt]

By not using your legs to get a feel of how they should move as you swim you have made the first step in the right direction . To help keep the legs and hips light and floating right along behind you also try :
rolling only enough to clear each shoulder as you roll and not to stacked shoulders . Over rolling can make your legs splay outward to try to compensate for being unbalanced
Lean in to the water always as you swim.
Look down keep your head in a neutral position and relaxed
Keep the legs stretched out without to much knee bend
spearing in to the water with hand below elbow

Dave

[atreides]

Originally Posted by anjaswim

Hello,

I've been practicing for a few months now (thanks for the last tips, they were very helpful)

I'm struggling with my legs. I just can't get the right feel for them. I realized that I do more like a breast stroke kick (knees too much bent). (I guess that comes from 35 years of breast stroke and never really doing any free style.)

So I have started to not use my legs at all, just to get a feel for how my legs and back move while I stroke. What happens is that then I seem to drag my legs behind me like a happy piece of seaweed, right below the surface but I still can't really figure out how to use them a bit more productively. It's quite amazing that I can still swim with such ease, since i have no upper body strength to speak of (and I could never do free style at all before learning a bit of TI). but I'm of course slow and my legs get a bit bored (and it must look very silly). And most importantly I want to get it right!!

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

-anja

Dave's advice is good. You might want to try the two beat kick. It's fairly minimalist but its the preferred TI kick. It does require a good bit of coordination but after you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. I learned by doing underswitches. The basic methodology is that kick on the same side that you pull or the opposite side that you spearl. Just do an underswitch drill and everytime you pull flutter kick that leg. The flutter is a simple flick. Practice without breathing so that you can get your timing. It will feel funny at first but it will become more natural. Its important that you flick lightly and with little or no knee bend. If you kick to heavily you will generate more drag than propulsion. The idea is to initiate hip drive and keep your leg in streamline position. Your legs are still not doing a whole lot but they are keeping time with your pull. Don't get too frustrated if you get off on the wrong leg. Just start over. It may take a couple of weeks but you'll get it.

[splashingpat]

Originally Posted by daveblt

By not using your legs to get a feel of how they should move as you swim you have made the first step in the right direction.

To help keep the legs and hips light and floating right along behind you also try: rolling only enough to clear each shoulder as you roll and not to stacked shoulders. Over rolling can make your legs splay outward to try to compensate for being unbalanced

Lean in to the water always as you swim.
Look down keep your head in a neutral position and relaxed
Keep the legs stretched out without to much knee bend
spearing in to the water with hand below elbow

Dave

i have been told about
not keeping my legs streamlined of straight enuf under me!
a position that i am not to used too!
thinkin about the dynamic or correct position of the body?
always trying to make a step in the right direction!

[gogglesnoseplugs]

Here is something that was explained to me that might be helpful. Think about "swimming downhill" and your legs will not drop from behind you. Once you get your line adjusted, your kick will have more effect.