Finning issue in training

[OTGav]

I’ve just started pool training with a few others – and I’ve noticed that my fining technique is terrible. My brain was obviously on other things when I’m out spearing.

When I’m doing training dynamics my body is rotating back and forth with the kick.

I feel like I’m kicking to the side/off the line of my body at times from the ankle – possibley a bad habit picked up to avoid clattering my fins together.

And finally, now and then it feels like my fins are slipping off the water a little on the down stroke.

Am I fixable? ;o)

My dolphin kick feels just fine (although there is loads of room for more efficiency) and cracking out 50m laps is no problem, but when I go to bi-kick things fall apart a bit and 50m is almost out of reach.

The real issue is that as my target and reason for training is spearing rather than serious depth or competition. I think that bi-fin is my only real option when carrying a gun (am happy to be mistaken on this) as the dolphin body curve/line feels like it will get screwed up by the long gun out front/held at the side.

Are there any good techniques I can follow to bring my bi-fin into line – things to try and think about on swims etc?

Thanks

Gav

 

[OTGav]

Ack - no advice. Does this mean there are tonnes of posts on this issue already?

Or that my aflictions are beyond hope?

 

[blueface]

Ack - no advice. Does this mean there are tonnes of posts on this issue already?

Or that my aflictions are beyond hope?

No one who has great technique will give away their secrets.:blackeye The rest of us suck as well and we are also waiting for a response. LOL!

What I have learned is- if you put up a video link you will probably get some constructive criticism. My finning sucks. The answer came to me only a week ago when I borrowed a pair of fins from my friend. All my problems went away! The fins twisting, leg bending, slow speeds, hypercapnic feeling, too much lactic, and over all poor performance.

The answer- MY FINS SUCK!!

Tips:

-video as much as possible.
-watch the pros with bi-fins (Stepanek is my favorite)
-count kick cycles and depths/distance compared to time and effort.
-experiment with different fins.

I found out that my fins were wet noodles. Kicking like crazy only caused the fins to warp and loose so much efficiency. Kicking to soft and I would move too slow. Find the right stiffness for you.

I put my friends fins on and kicked to 80 ft. with no weight and a slow relaxed kick. I went straight and had tons of bottom time despite being slightly positive! The fins were stiffer and at first I tried to maintain the same kick cycle speed but that did not work. When I kicked the right tempo it produced the most speed for my effort.

I still have so much to learn. Good luck! Hope I helped a bit.

Skip

 

[OTGav]

Filming on Thursday with a bit of luck - then the true extent of the horror will be revealed for all - including me - to see.

Thanks for the reply - I'll try and keep those things in mind in the pool this week.

 

[blueface]

My friend and I figured out something today. We were practicing diving in a straight line and over rotating. We would pick targets and miss. After a long time he noticed that we had been arching our backs so I changed my technique and discovered that we were in fact arching (thinking that we were straight) and it caused stress and we missed. When he said I was off, I would arch more and more thinking that I was straighter. After a frustrating session I decided to relax and put my legs more in front of me and relax. Low and behold I was perfectly straight and I was on the bottom in no time! Again and again I dove straight until I did 30 dives between 15 to 18 meters all straight! I will try to put up some video tomorrow.

 

[blueface]

It's not quite as cool as I thought but at least I'm diving straight. I can see many problems with my kicking. Too much bending of the knees, uneven, legs apart, etc.

These fins feel a bit flimsy for me.

Please feel free to give advice but please be kind. I'm sensitive.:blackeye

 

[OTGav]

Not the best clip, but hopefully enough for some advice....

Thanks

Gav

 

[blueface]

Your finning looks fine to me. Maybe someone more qualified than myself will chine in. From the looks of it, I have bigger issues than you.:blackeye

I can see that you are rotating back and forth. When I swim laterally on or below the surface I don't rotate quite as much but I can't say why. My problem was not being able to dive down in a straight line. Now that I can, I will work on efficiency.

It looks like you are positively buoyant. I'll bet a neck weight would help you.

 

[OTGav]

heh - looking at it a few times I see all kinds of problems for me.

Poor body angle - legs up. This and some other stuff could be due to being close to the bottom and not getting enough room for a down stroke as well as fighting buoyancey

Terrible arm position - must try and think about that when diving more.

Hip rotation, big knee bend......the list goes on, and on........:blackeye

Knowing about some of the problems is a start I guess. real issue is knocking out a 70m dynamic happily using dolphin kick but having to work to get 50m with scissor kick - and how that relates to being able to dive for spearing.

The wait for a wiser head to comment continues :t

 

[black1]

To me honestly it looks like you have a tendancy to bring the knee forward like your lifting it to your chest while finning, try straightening out your leg more and finning using your hips in nice relaxed motion.

 

[OTGav]

Black1 - your comment's for Blueface right?

 

[black1]

Yes I was commenting on his video he placed on here, just my observation.

 

[blueface]

Yes I was commenting on his video he placed on here, just my observation.

black1, thank you very much for the input! I believe you are right. I noticed the same thing and I started to bend my knees much less in practice.

 

[black1]

I did the same thing when I first started out and what happens is that you slow yourself down because you are not streamlined and by bringing the knees up creates drag. You can use long full leg strokes by twisting at the hips in a nice slow movement or by using just your calf muscles and kicking shorter more quick flicks of the toes similiar to kicking something off the tip of your shoe...just a visual. I am tall (6'2) so the first method is best for me and more relaxed therefore conserving O2.

 

[blueface]

While we're on the subject, this guy has some pretty good bi-fin technique.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=els7NYCyU-8]YouTube - ‪Martin Stepanek Freediving World Record 2003‬‎[/ame]

 

[black1]

Yes I have trained with him, he is an incredible freediver and a nice guy.

 

[OTGav]

Yes I was commenting on his video he placed on here, just my observation.

Was just working out which one of us you were aiming your advice at - didn't mean to come over harsh or anything.

Thanks for you advice.

 

[black1]

Hey not a problem, never looked at it that way my friend.