I was once (in my ancient past) a National Lifeguard and swimming instructor. Qualified out the wazoo.
You're prob'ly gonna have to teach yourself part of this mumbo jumbo called swimming, because your instructor isn't willing to get wet.
First, you need the right angle for a kick to be effective. Your body has to approach parallel with the surface.
Did they do a float check? Do you sink? Do only your legs sink (and I mean DOWN not just a little down)? Describe how you float (if you want me to diagnose). It's important. Because if your feet are mostly sunk, then when you kick, well, you know which way the propulsion is kicking you. Up. That's not quite what we want. Kicking will be more difficult based on that because you will be expending force to keep your body floating.
Don't panic. That's not the end of the world. A kick, isn't just a kick. I hate that they want to teach you freestyle, but it's probably safest for your knees. A freestyle flutter kick requires that you kick with your whole leg. Not froggy like, but highly coordinated. And the most important point is that the power come down through the lower leg. Hip Knee Ankle. Those joints. Hip makes the big movement, knee brings the lower leg into propulsive mode and the ankle flicks to give that push. It all works to make you move.
If you were a child, your teacher would jump in the pool, put a hand under your belly button and support you while you practiced this. Ideally, that is. As you get used to the idea of being parallel in the water, you get used to keeping your feet and legs more or less straight. You stop kicking the surface and instead kick just below. The knee never flexes fully not even a half. Instead, it just relaxes until the next push from the hip. Push Down, Push Up.
Now I can't see you to see exactly what your "weak kick" looks like. But I know you have muscles. All the women in your class (or many, as indicated by your post) had trouble with kicking. Not unusual. Adult women carry most muscle mass in their legs. Making their legs sink. Yup, fat floats, muscle sinks. It's a correctible problem.
Don't give up. Work it out. In the end, it's just physics and biomechanics. There may be something special about your legs that's interfering with the process, but more likely your instructor is being lazy about getting in the water and looking your movement over to see what the problem is. That's because students tend to work the problem out themselves in time (so long as they don't quit because their moron instructor is too lazy to give them simple assistance).
If you have any questions, I'm in Japan. Until August.
Chris.
P.S. By the by, I meant to say that you are invited to stroll up to Burlington, ON, any time after I move and meet us, should the inclination arise, along with relevant means (cash, vehicle, tickets, time-off, whatever). I will likewise entertain a trip to the big NYC; I know Yuki is dying to go, since she's never been.
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They did progress rather fast
Date: 2004-06-30 07:49 am (UTC)I was once (in my ancient past) a National Lifeguard and swimming instructor. Qualified out the wazoo.
You're prob'ly gonna have to teach yourself part of this mumbo jumbo called swimming, because your instructor isn't willing to get wet.
First, you need the right angle for a kick to be effective. Your body has to approach parallel with the surface.
Did they do a float check? Do you sink? Do only your legs sink (and I mean DOWN not just a little down)? Describe how you float (if you want me to diagnose). It's important. Because if your feet are mostly sunk, then when you kick, well, you know which way the propulsion is kicking you. Up. That's not quite what we want. Kicking will be more difficult based on that because you will be expending force to keep your body floating.
Don't panic. That's not the end of the world. A kick, isn't just a kick. I hate that they want to teach you freestyle, but it's probably safest for your knees. A freestyle flutter kick requires that you kick with your whole leg. Not froggy like, but highly coordinated. And the most important point is that the power come down through the lower leg. Hip Knee Ankle. Those joints. Hip makes the big movement, knee brings the lower leg into propulsive mode and the ankle flicks to give that push. It all works to make you move.
If you were a child, your teacher would jump in the pool, put a hand under your belly button and support you while you practiced this. Ideally, that is. As you get used to the idea of being parallel in the water, you get used to keeping your feet and legs more or less straight. You stop kicking the surface and instead kick just below. The knee never flexes fully not even a half. Instead, it just relaxes until the next push from the hip. Push Down, Push Up.
Now I can't see you to see exactly what your "weak kick" looks like. But I know you have muscles. All the women in your class (or many, as indicated by your post) had trouble with kicking. Not unusual. Adult women carry most muscle mass in their legs. Making their legs sink. Yup, fat floats, muscle sinks. It's a correctible problem.
Don't give up. Work it out. In the end, it's just physics and biomechanics. There may be something special about your legs that's interfering with the process, but more likely your instructor is being lazy about getting in the water and looking your movement over to see what the problem is. That's because students tend to work the problem out themselves in time (so long as they don't quit because their moron instructor is too lazy to give them simple assistance).
If you have any questions, I'm in Japan. Until August.
Chris.
P.S. By the by, I meant to say that you are invited to stroll up to Burlington, ON, any time after I move and meet us, should the inclination arise, along with relevant means (cash, vehicle, tickets, time-off, whatever). I will likewise entertain a trip to the big NYC; I know Yuki is dying to go, since she's never been.