watts said:
Do you find you keep it to 3-4 strokes though when you go for a big one? I find myself speeding up and doing more like 5 per 25m.
I know what you mean... It's tough when you get tired. I always concentrate very hard on my form for the last 50 meters or so. One trick I use is to count the seconds I spend in a glide. I say in my head "Pull...1...2...3...Kick...1...2...3..." Then I try to keep that rhythm throughout the dynamic. Try it out. It keeps my mind of the contractions.
DeepThought said:
Can someone describe to a great detail the perfect leg stroke? -When to start retracting legs, when to start kicking, how much the legs should be close/apart from each other at each phase, which parts of the legs gives you the propulsion etc...
It's so hard to describe this without actually demonstrating it. I'll try to describe the entire process.
-Start in streamline position after push-off or finishing previous cycle.
-Pull arms down to side starting with a wide sweeping motion of the whole arm and then snapping the hands and forearms to your side. Watch the video very carefully for this motion. It's like drawing question marks or a "S"s in the water with your hands.
-After a long glide, bring your knees out to 90 degrees from your hips with your knees bent and rotated slightly so that your feet are outside of your knees. At the same time bring your hands up to your chest.
-Snap the heels of your feet together as fast as possible as you lunge your hands and upper body forward. You should be in complete streamline position as you finish your kick.
Note: Think about the entire kick as drawing a large oval with the heels of your feet.
-Glide long and repeat.
Other Tips:
The No fin stroke is 75% arms and 25% legs. The kicks main purpose is to get your arms back in position for a pull. Save your leg power for the push off the wall. I can easily glide 1/3rd the length of the pool on a push-off.
Always keep your hands in a tight cup to push as much water as possible.
Really stretch out on the glides. Actively make yourself hydrodynamic by staying as long as possible. Don't cut your glides short. Get as much distance out of them as possible.
If your kick isn't getting you anywhere, practice with a kickboard. Think about snapping your heels together as quickly as possible.
The turn is also very important to set you up for a good push. I always bring one arm down to my side and use the other arm to turn on the wall (watch the video). I really get my knees bent and bounce off the wall like a spring releasing all its energy.
Try to keep your chin on your chest so that you are sort of looking behind you. This will get your body in good streamline position.
Use a neck-weight. I can't tell you how beneficial good balance is. You should not be floating up or sinking during your glides. I use a weight of around 2 -3 pounds. Mess around with different weights until you find what works best for you. The neckweight will cause your head to be deeper than your feet on most of your glides. As long as you are not sinking or floating up, this is nothing to worry about.
The key to good technique is muscle memory. When you are going for a new personal best, it's not going to be easy to think about every little aspect of your technique. You want it to be natural. I concentrate on my technique by counting my rhythm, not by focusing on every little thing I am doing. The rest just falls into place.
Good luck!
