Help! My SDK is Horrible!

[ande]

SDK stands for Streamlined Dolphin Kick
some people call them "underwaters"

Swimmers use SDK in sprints, 50's, 100's & 200's
free, fly, back and IMs

for several years we've had the

"Help my flutter kick is horrible" thread

It's time for a thread to help people improve their SDK


This is the thread for people who want to improve their SDKs

here's what excellent SDK technique looks like

crocker 100 fl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym_ks0aHkCE

phelps 200 fl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlXuJP_9DjA&NR

phelps 200 fr http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxKwi341UAs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4BYPrO8aG0

phelps 200 IM WR Undderwater POV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0cWLZ2bsOc&NR=1

Lochte 200 bk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xETC2p461o8

2004 olympics 100 bk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhPYeVfBfKk

coughlin 100 free http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARxQg4NUn4s

coughlin 100 fl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3cXB2JpFAE

50 back worlds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrsVG1r6N0E

100 bk scm lockte WR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytawE099E8U

Klim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_wbOGDdJGo

thorpe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbOb6ApepqU


Here's how you improve your SDK

1) test your SDK and find out where you are
get timed for
+ 15 meters or yards from a dive
+ 25 Y/M from a dive and
+ 50 Y/M from a dive
report your results here

2) Experiment to figure out which SDK feels best for you
back, belly or side

3) Experiment to figure out how many SDK's you should take off your starts and turns in races for free, back, & fly

4) train to perfect your SDK technique
streamline and kicking motion

5) train to perfect your conditioning and mental toughness
do very fast SDKs for speed
do 25's 50, 75, 100, 150, & 200 kicks wher eyou improve conditioning

6) train to increase your strenth and power
legs and core work, weight training pilates exercises

7) train to increase flexiblity
streamline and ankles

8) be consistent and patient, stick with it for at least 3 or 6 months

9) retest and track your improvement

10) do the experiment again
as your SDK improves you can take more SDKs in your races

11) remember to keep up your SDK speed training as you taper and prepare to race


good luck
hope you SDK Faster Faster
report your progress
contribute and encourage

Ande

there some people who SDK doesn't work for
they can't get the technique down or
don't have flexible ankles and feet
be slow to put yourself in this category without making a sincere effort to improve your SDK

[kizzi77]

I've found mine is fastest on my side. I usually take about 4-5 on free before switching to flutter kick and starting my pull. On back it's about 5-6, and fly it ranges with my amount of fatigue from 7-8 down to 4-5. But if i get too much on my stomach or back i will pop up early. and I HATE that feeling of awkwardly starting strokes early because you are on the surface.

[CreamPuff]

Thanks Ande. The links are great too. Gotta start somewhere.

[Chris Stevenson]

Nice collection of tips and links, Ande.

I might add that I believe my own SDK has benefited from core work (I like Pilates) and stretching/flexibility exercises. I also believe those things help swimming (and general health/fitness), so no reason not to try them. A little time spent on them goes a long way, I think.

[rtodd]

Two more:

Phelps 200 free WR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4BYP...eature=related

Klim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_wbOGDdJGo

On a different note....look how fast Klim can get is feet over and to the wall compared to the swimmer next to him. There is definately time to be gained in this.

[ande]

thanks guys
I added a few more points and links thanks to y'all

ande

[geochuck]

No comments from me, other than watching Klim's SDK 6, 7 maybe 8 beats then quick change to flutter, in his 50 m free swim.

[Donna]

Yesterday at our teams stroke and turn clinic we worked some on the SDK. I really need to work on this more, but I also have to build up my lung capacity to be able to do this in a race too.

[Syd]

Here's how you improve your SDK

1) test your SDK and find out where you are
get timed for
+ 15 meters or yards from a dive
+ 25 Y/M from a dive and
+ 50 Y/M from a dive
report your results here

Ok, here goes.

25M SDK
Feb 24, 2008 18.89 (regular suit, push off side)

Now I am figuring if I took a dive off the side, I could, maybe, take another second and a half off that time and it would start looking semi respectable.

When I started timing myself for 25M SDK 8 months ago I went 25.84.

How close should your SDK time be to your flat out, above water sprint time before you start usiing it as a race tactic?

Syd

[Chris Stevenson]

How close should your SDK time be to your flat out, above water sprint time before you start usiing it as a race tactic?

I think Richard Abrahams had the good idea of timing yourself to the 15m mark with various numbers of kicks. As your SDK gets faster, you can probably add more kicks. Try it both from a start and a push.

My 25 SDK time on my back is about the same as my above water time in backstroke, maybe faster. The same is true of a 50 SCY. Just remember, though, that it is more tiring than regular swimming (plus no air). So in a 50 back I'll go to 15m on both walls (10 kicks off the start, 12 off the turn); in 100 back I'll take fewer kicks (8-9/wall, 10 on the start) and in the 200 back fewer still (5-7, 10 on the start).

When you push off or dive, you are travelling faster than at any other time in your race. The key is to use underwater SDK to maintain that speed as long as possible. Ideally you break out when your speed slows to regular swimming speed. To use a cycling analogy: you might push a big gear on a downhill and try to stay in that gear as long as possible on the flat (even though it is a little more tiring) to maintain momentum, until you shift down when you slow to regular cruising speed.

So even if your SDK is slower OVER A WHOLE 25 than your regular swim, a few SDKs might be fine because you use them to "stretch out" the push/dive. A good streamline is critical: you need the flexibility and core strength to do SDKs while maintaining a tight streamline.

The optimum number of kicks will probably also depend on the stroke. I take fewer kicks in free and fly than in back because those strokes are faster in the open water (and I am also less comfortable doing SDKs on my front or side).

In a recent masters meet, there was a young stud in a 200 fly who was taking 8-10 kicks off each wall. I would totally blow up if I tried that; my current race strategy is 5 kicks off the walls on the first 100 and 4 kicks on the second. In a 100 fly I'm working on 6-7 kicks off the walls for the moment.

I'm saying all this to give you a feel for the kinds of considerations involved in the choice; I hope it helps!

Chris

[Syd]

I'm saying all this to give you a feel for the kinds of considerations involved in the choice; I hope it helps!

Chris

Thanks Chris! That helps a lot.

About 6 weeks ago I did a set of 8 x 25m ALL OUT for time. On the first I did 8 SDK's, on the second 7, on the third 6, etc, etc until on the last I did none. I found that I was fastest with only one or two SDk's. Anything more and my times started to drop off.

To be honest I am still not happy with my SDK rhythm. I haven't quite found it yet. Somedays it seems to be there and other days...well, I just feel like a sewing machine in the water. Sometimes I up the frequency of the kicks and other times I go for more languid, powerful strokes. I am just playing around trying to find my sweet spot.

Encouragingly, I have improved with practice. I think with stronger abdominal and lower back muscles I can go even faster. I am trying to get to the gym three times a week now.

Syd

[ande]

hey syd,

congratulations you've made some dramatic improvements
it's quite a feat to go from 25 to 18

I suggest you time the SDK from a dive
wearing a racing suit

I agree with what Chris wrote

use your SDK off the start to stretch out your glide

If you're not that fast take a few, take more as you get faster

Do small fast kicks like crocker, that way if your technique or timing is off they won't slow you down as much as SDK's with more amplitude

Tight streamline is critical
(proper head position and body alignment)
(do it like phelps and crocker)

the faster your SDK is
the better
do 15 & 25 sprints in all the strokes you swim

the ideal goal is to train to the point where
your SDK as fast as your freestyle

my 25 SDK is
faster than my backstroke
close to even with my fly and
slower than my free

Ok, here goes.

25M SDK
Feb 24, 2008 18.89 (regular suit, push off side)

Now I am figuring if I took a dive off the side, I could, maybe, take another second and a half off that time and it would start looking semi respectable.

When I started timing myself for 25M SDK 8 months ago I went 25.84.

How close should your SDK time be to your flat out, above water sprint time before you start using it as a race tactic?

Syd

[geochuck]

It does get better. When we made the transition from butterfrog with a regular breaststroke kick. It was I great pull and into the fly. Then when we started with dolphin kick it was I great pull and one fish tail kick right into the fly with a single fish tail kick which the name changed to a dolphin click. We soon started doing two dolphin clicks in our regular fly. Then it was off the dive and turns 1 great pull, the two hands at the side and 2 dolpins. This stayed for about a year or two then someone started doing 3 kicks and into the stroke. The greatest change came came when some one started leaving the arms out front in streamline and dolphin kicking. It was found the body travels very fast using a dolphin kick as you come off a dive or turn. Then some one started using it while doing crawl.

I only do 3 dolphin kicks when I come off a dive or turn. Maybe I will increase this.

[ande]

OK, I'm going to participate in my own program

I'm going to continue training to improve my SDK speed and
start testing and reporting the results here
at least once a week
from now till Nationals

today I did a 25 SCY sdk
roll start
off bulkhead but not blocks
went 10.49

Ande's SDK chart

9 04/28
8 04/21
7 04/14
6 04/07
5 03/31
4 03/24
3 03/17
2 03/10
1 03/03
0 02/25 10.49

START YOUR CHART

[ande]

any one else working on their SDK
got any results

ande

OK, I'm going to participate in my own program

I'm going to continue training to improve my SDK speed and
start testing and reporting the results here
at least once a week
from now till Nationals

today I did a 25 SCY sdk
roll start
off bulkhead but not blocks
went 10.49

Ande's SDK chart

9 04/28
8 04/21
7 04/14
6 04/07
5 03/31
4 03/24
3 03/17
2 03/10
1 03/03
0 02/25 10.49

START YOUR CHART

[rtodd]

On a Flowcast interview Ricky Berens said that Hill Taylor SDK'd a 50 LCM in 25.2.....all underwater.

[Thrashing Slug]

What is a roll start?

I should do this. I have absolutely no idea what I could SDK without fins. It can't posibly be as bad as my flutter kick, so what the hell. I will try to get someone to time me.

[ande]

he was incorrect
taylor went 24.20, then got DQed because it ws a 50 bk

ande

On a Flowcast interview Ricky Berens said that Hill Taylor SDK'd a 50 LCM in 25.2.....all underwater.

[rtodd]

insane

[Big AL]

Maybe in another life.

My back is soooo bad I can hardly do slow undulating SDK off my turns without throwing out my back. Short bursts really hurt. Usually I am forced to drag my legs because using them causes shooting pains of fire... then they go numb if I keep it up and I can't use them at all.