The Sprint Free Lane

[fmracing]

Technically, kicking is a very simple motion. If you don't have flexible ankles and large feet however, you might struggle with it.

Want to know if you have "flexible" ankles? Point your toe as much as you can. Is the angle created by the top of your foot and your lower leg greater than 180 degrees, equal to 180 degrees or less than 180 degrees? If you can get it past 180, congratulations you have flexible ankles. If you can get to 180 you have slightly flexible angles, certainly not stiff. If you can't get your toe point to 180 degrees you are going to have a lot of trouble kicking fast. A former gymnast friend of mine has such terrible ankle flexibility she can't do a full squat without almost falling over. She has trouble getting much past maybe 120 degrees.

What can you do to make your ankles more flexible? First of all this stuff should be done with great care, you can do serious damage to ligaments when you stretch your ankles. The simplest way to stretch ankles is to sit down with your knees bent and toes pointed, so that your heels are under your butt. The weight of your body will do the work for you.

If you have flexible ankles already and try adding in a foam roller. Place the foam roller under your toes and the end of your foot and again let your body do the work.

Another method that I personally used my freshman year of college is to soak your feet and ankles in hot water for 10 minutes or so prior to stretching. If you do this be gentle with the stretches, I have seen a swimmer sprain an ankle doing this stuff.

When measuring: do you go off of the top of the foot where it meets the ankle or the top of the foot nearer the toes (or maybe an averatge of the two). When i point my foot out, i get different angles depending on how far down my foot you'd measure. I'd take a pic for you, but posting pictures of feet is scary lol.

[TrentRichardson]

Try this, grab your lower leg so your index finger and thumb are just above the the bottom of your tibia, the medial malleolus. Measure from that spot just above your ankle to the first joint of your big toe, the one that is closest to your ankle. That should give you a good idea of the angles I was referring too.

[ande]

thought I'd bump all the lanes to the front page to encourage folks to comment in their lanes

[ande]

phelps freestyle streamlines & dolphin kicks
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-nNMrrYNdU"]YouTube - Michael Phelps-Freestyle-Multi Angle Camera[/nomedia]


ian crocker streamline dolphin kicking
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym_ks0aHkCE"]YouTube - Phelps Rallies Past Crocker in 100-fly[/nomedia]


cavic dolphin kick
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaR2lPdssZc"]YouTube - Phelps takes down Cavic again, from Universal Sports[/nomedia]


phelps turn dolphin kick
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9eDAQxL5cA"]YouTube - Michael Phelps turn[/nomedia]


cielo 100 fr
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ClyLK5T6pY"]YouTube - 100 Free NCAA 2008 Cesar Cielo 40"92[/nomedia]


Amaury Leveaux - WR- 44.94 -100scm Freestyle
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7PkAOeJKJA"]YouTube - Amaury Leveaux - WR- 44.94 -100m Freestyle - Rijeka[/nomedia]


cesar cielo 100 fr world record
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xvzY07byKU"]YouTube - 100m Freestyle world record, Cesar Cielo Filho[/nomedia]


cesar cielo 50 fr wr
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-69rtsUJbA"]YouTube - César Cielo - Recorde Mundial 50 livre - 20.91[/nomedia]


Paul Biedermann world record
200 free style Rome 2009 time 1.42.00
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgm8Tbu33EQ"]YouTube - Paul Biedermann world record 200 free style Rome 2009 time 1.42.00[/nomedia]


Nathan Adrian upsets Cesar Cielo
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnQ78MKWz-s"]YouTube - Nathan Adrian upsets Cesar Cielo - from Universal Sports[/nomedia]


Pan Pacs '10: Men's 4x100m Free Relay
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GTQpxRsOFo"]YouTube - Pan Pacs '10: Men's 4x100m Free Relay (Swimnetwork)[/nomedia]

[Jamesmap2]

Seeing as starts are so important in a 50 and 100, i was wondering what kind of training you guys do for them, in the pool and for dry land training

[jaadams1]

Seeing as starts are so important in a 50 and 100, i was wondering what kind of training you guys do for them, in the pool and for dry land training

I usually wait till the short blast of whistles...then the command "take you mark", and at the BEEP, I react as fast as possible.

Reaction time, explosive legs, streamlined body position into the water, and SDK like mad till you're ready for breakout. Just practice quite a few starts on a command, timing if possible.

[shannalee80]

I usually wait till the short blast of whistles...then the command "take you mark", and at the BEEP, I react as fast as possible.

My reaction time is pretty good but my problem is my entry, period. I need to seriously work on my starting block entries but I can't at my pool. The only place I "practice" team is at a meet. I don't go too deep in my entry but it still feels like to much of a belly flop...YIKES!

[jaadams1]

My reaction time and technique just come naturally...but I've been doing it since I was 7 as well.

[The Fortress]

My reaction time is pretty good but my problem is my entry, period. I need to seriously work on my starting block entries but I can't at my pool. The only place I "practice" team is at a meet. I don't go too deep in my entry but it still feels like to much of a belly flop...YIKES!

I have had this same problem for years. I'm a sprinter with no place to practice starts -- very frustrating. And I have had the same flat dive flaw. What helps me fix it somewhat is to use a neutral starting position (not too far forward or back like a slingshot) and just reach for the water making sure the hands are together before I hit the water.

As for drylands, plyos (box jumps, squat jumps, altitude drops) help build explosiveness off the start and walls. Other weights to strengthen the legs should help as well (squats, lunges). For quick hands on the start, try some med ball slams.

[funkyfish]

Seeing as starts are so important in a 50 and 100, i was wondering what kind of training you guys do for them, in the pool and for dry land training

I like working on power and explosiveness for the legs, which hopefully translates to better starts and pushoffs from the walls. Lately I've been doing pistols and one-leg romainian deadlifts.

Pistols:
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXEw5reJ-CI"]Hardest Kettlebell Exercise, PISTOL , from Elite Kettlebell - YouTube[/nomedia]

One-leg romainian deadlift:
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oaZMERDNxY"]1-leg Romanian deadlift - YouTube[/nomedia]

I also will do box hops and jumping in general. The box hops are done by squatting down and jumping onto a platform. When just jumping, I'll jump to either touch the ceiling at my gym (10') or a basketball rim (10'). I'll do these because where I swim diving is not allowed, and there's no starting blocks. Ideally, if you've got access, practicing starts is the way to go, but I think what I do is a good dryland substitute.

[Karl_S]

I have had this same problem for years. I'm a sprinter with no place to practice starts -- very frustrating.

Maybe a bit off-topic, but this problem of having no place to practice starts is a major issue for masters swimmers and someting I would like to see USMS lobby to change.

[jaadams1]

Maybe a bit off-topic, but this problem of having no place to practice starts is a major issue for masters swimmers and someting I would like to see USMS lobby to change.

But in a public pool, with the pool's rules governing, this could be hard to do.

[Karl_S]

But in a public pool, with the pool's rules governing, this could be hard to do.

I'd guess that in nearly all cases this is a "rule" that is dictated to the pool by an insurance company. Maybe USMS could sell "insurance" to its members that would cover them when swimming in any pool >X feet deep. Or maybe pools could offer tiered rates, if you want to pratice starts, you have to pay y$ per year for an insurance rider on your membership. Really, USMS needs to be creative an lobby for it's members to be able to practce starts.

[shannalee80]

I bet there is some insurance reason why there isn't usually any diving block training available during masters swimming. Perhaps the insurance that is covered by our USMS registration doesn't cover that. Although usually when I am at lap swim or masters swim there is the diving board available in an "open area" of the pool, anyway.

Maybe a good compromise would be for us to encourage our own individual pools/teams to offer a "starts" clinic where we could pay for an extra lesson and they would have the starting blocks for us to practice. We would have to make sure there enough swim committed for them to offer it.

All I know if that the only time I EVER get to practice going off on diving blocks is at MEETS and I feel embarrassed (especially at a relay) that I even after I finish a 100 I still feel my "strawberry" from my entry. Good thing the relays are usually meant for fun and (usually) guaranteed points at a meet.

[ElaineK]

Hey, sprint freestylers, I have some new videos I have posted in my home lane (The Breaststroke Lane) and The Butterfly Lane. I am hoping to make NQT's in 50 free, so I have a few videos I would like to include here for some constructive feedback. The 50 free is slow (my PB is :33 from the blocks); it's a 37 from a push off, however, this was done right after filming my 50 and 25 breaststroke with no rest. (And, the morning after a Halloween party... ). OK; no more excuses- except one: Open turns are required for me, due to Meniere's (inner ear disorder) and not being able to do flip turns without getting disoriented and seasick!

1. http://youtu.be/gzg8Csnk17c - 50 free

2. http://youtu.be/bKCJ4zmMKFw - 25 free

3. http://youtu.be/iOwbKbMAHEk - Freestyle open turn- HELP!

4. http://youtu.be/VIelJi4ygAg - Freestyle open turn- side view. HELP! It feels so much slower than my breaststroke turn. Any advice would be MUCH appreciated!

THANKS!

[orca1946]

To stop landing "flat"on starts try to push harder with your quads - calfs & toes. The last feeling from the blocks should be your toes pushing off hard. All of these along with a good upper body entry should help in a better start. And yes using blocks more often with some coaching will also help.

[ande]

when the going gets tough
the sprinters get tougher

[ElaineK]

when the going gets tough
the sprinters get tougher

Hey, Ande, nice job bumpin' all of the lanes. But, did you notice there was one lane you didn't have to bump?

FROGS ROCK!

[gaash]

Any suggestions on how to practice a 'shoulder driven' freestyle slowly? I find it very difficult to practice slowly when every stroke should be immediately beginning the pulling cycle upon entry...

[Speedo]

Any suggestions on how to practice a 'shoulder driven' freestyle slowly? I find it very difficult to practice slowly when every stroke should be immediately beginning the pulling cycle upon entry...

If you sprint with a 6-beat kick (and a few elites do not), its hard to swim it slow without your legs sinking. Slow shoulder-driven is easier with a 4-beat kick but if you don't plan to race it there's not much of a point to practice that way. You can use fins to keep your feet up and keep swimming downhill with a 6-beat kick.