Hey Guys! If you want to purchase a swim analysis of your swim stroke by me personally , email me at lukas.stsytems@gmail.com for more details. Payments can be made securely through paypal and it will involve you sending me a simple phone video of you swimming. In return you will receive a video back with your footage edited and analyzed with my commentary and recommendations for improvement . Happy swimming!
I was one of those people not moving at all while I was kicking. It was so embarrassing that I stopped trying. After practice everything on this video, I did focus on stretching for few weeks first, now I feel so much more confident when I go swimming. I am proud to say that I can move pretty fast just kicking. Thank you so much for this video!!!
I started to learn freestyle one year ago (I'm 63), I do manage to swim, but my kick is terrible. This was so well explained in the video and I'm stretching every morning now. I want try to achieve a better kick, this was the best video so far in how to do it, thanks!
Bruh, you just demystified my sinking legs nightmare! My swimming teacher needs to watch this video and subscribe to your channel like I did! Standing ovation!
Honestly I pay hundreds of pounds for swimming and I am not taught these BASICS! I have been learning to swim since January!!!! Have been to 4 swimming teachers. Really tricky when you're an adult. I start with a new swimming teacher next Wednesday. I think I am not kicking from my hips? I think I am using my legs? Really unsure but sometimes it feels like you're wriggling? Is that what kicking from hips is? Your videos are really a life saver. Thank you.
Just beginning to learn at 40. I have the same issue you described. Wondering if the kick from hip is like cycling motion with legs straight and ankle flex or it’s a push motion from the top of the hip - Swing or a kick 😢
Just home from my first ever swimming lesson at the age of 65. Never too late! I looked up kicking, as I was pretty terrible at it. Found it hard to get my legs high in the water. Maybe lack of flexibility at hips and back? This excellent video is a real eye opener though. Thank you. I’ll practice some of these exercises before my next lesson!
Most valuable Siska, I have been struggling with kicking for years. I nearly watched every video on internet and read about kicking. This is the best video that is up to the point. The moment I began doing the exercises I saw my weak points. Thanks with all means.
Thank you Luka I finally found a helpful advice. I used to wonder why I would get tired of kicking and kicking and after 10 minutes kicking I sank like a rock. Come on guys we can do this! And thank you again man I hope one day I can be able to get to the other side of the pool.
Omg! This is exactly what I was looking for!!! All my teachers have this long experience swimming so this little details can’t explained it to the beginners as me. Thanks 🙏
Great video. I'm just learning and after 3 lessons, I'm still that person kicking in the same place for 24 hours. :-) can't wait to try some of your suggestions. Thanks!
And this is one of the best types of comments I can receive! Wonderful news that the video helped you to make some breakthroughs with your kicking, may this be the first of many more breakthroughs in your swimming! God bless you
@@stormreede1352 You meant Charles Mossman's trainers? Because I guess 20 years for perfecting the kicking skill is unthinkable. I'm learning to swim now and really don't want to take that long.
i am an age group competitive swimmer and coach. My first impression was "this guy will just speak..." , but when i watched and waited more,i noticed that i should stress more on some essential drills, and use your way, thank you.
You are the best! I love bouncing off the bottom of the pool and kicking vertically. I am 86 and I give swimming tips to all age swimmers. You can make a person so happy by improving his swim capability. Thanks for your tips. Get swimming tips from the Siska Swimming Academy. “.
This is super helpful. I'm a novice freestyle swimmer. I can do 1K in about 26 minutes. (Still no flip turns.) My kicking is weak and I believe I can really bring this time down with these techniques. I'll keep you posted. Mahalo for posting this.
Really helpful video. I'm very new to swimming at a older age. Swimming has become my passion and I'm always looking to improve. I really appreciate the way you break down every step. Thanks so much!
Good advice on ankle flexibility and how to have straighter but relaxed legs and floppy feet. And great drill ideas. I teach swimming and also noticed how so many folks have this issue of tight ankles and no floppy feet. The other fequent issues I have seen is locking knees up or the opposite issue of bending at knees too much. So many issues to watch out for when evaluating and correcting swim technique to produce efficient swim techniques.
Thanks for the kind words...yes so many things to think about in swimming, that's why my goal is to simplify it and make it easy for swimmers ...wish you all the best in your coaching
This is good coaching. I lol at the swimmer who hadnt moved 24 hours later as that is me. I have swum for 25 years but I don't use a kick as I found I was dead after a length, as you say, but I try to flutter my legs a bit to try to stop them dropping in the water and so acting as a break against me. My catch and pull is improving as I am reaching straight forward from the shoulder, gliding till I complete the other arm stroke , keeping fingers and hand like a padel blade , stretching and rotating to get more power from the pectorals as I push the water behind me, and gliding like Grahame Thorpe. I don't know how to kick or tumble turn or dolphin kick in the turn yet.
Well, I have managed to take about another 10 seconds off my lap time with the flutter kick. Some thing I figured out but haven't seen any one teach is that with the 3 beat kick (3 kicks per arm stroke, or 6 beats per arm cycle), the first kick is a 'transition kick' when moving/rotating from one side to the other, and the next 2 kicks are more of a scissor kick. So, in your clips here when using the kick board, the kicks are going pretty much straight up and down with little or no hip rotation. This means you can't raise your heel and lower leg out of the water to get that about 15 degree flex to get your oar/foot in a good position for generating thrust on the down part of the kick because if you do, then you are kicking air. This means to get that 15 degree angle, you have to flex more at the hip. After the transition kick, with your hips rotated at that 35 or so degree angle, it becomes more of a scissor kick, very similar to that you do in your vertical kicking exercises here, or with the totally on your side kicking exercise. The legs move above/past the center of the line of your body, and since you are turned sideways, your lower leg doesn't come out of the water, and you need less hip flex, which creates more drag, to get to that 15 degree knee flex to get the good thrust angle. I first noticed this scissor kick in a slow motion of Katie Ledecky swimming where one foot was up and down, and then the other went into scissor kick. After watching a bunch of videos of elite swimmers, they all do the same thing. Being a side stroke fanatic, the scissor kick comes more naturally to me, and I practice it a lot....Side stroke rules, breast stroke drools.....
Wow great video, thank you for posting it! Not only was I stuck in one place but at some point I started moving backwards when kicking. This was very helpful! 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you SO MUCH! This video gives me so much hope that I'll actually be able to learn this! You explained everything very clearly too and in a way that makes me feel way less terrible about how awful my kicks currently are :)
For the first time in my life I went FORWARD while kicking. Imagine that! It works it really does! More to practice of course, but what a revelation. Thank you!!
I’m glad I found this video! I was staying in one place as well. Eventually I finally got it but by then I was tired lol. It’s actually a really relaxing kick once you relax your body. I started by floating on my back. I realized I was too tensed up. I relaxed a bit to start kicking and looked to my side I could see myself moving faster and got excited 😂! I felt like a fish. I’ll be doing these exercises today to see if it improves my speed. I tried vertical kicking as well and boy did it work my thighs. I can stay up maybe 10 seconds but it’s a struggle! I mess up by forgetting to scull and start sinking 😂! I’m confident I’ll get it though.
Excellent video-much, much better than the (many) others I’ve viewed as I’ve worked to improve my kick. The combination of a clear explanation of why a kick isn’t working, the elements of a good kick, and simple exercises is so helpful. Appreciate such quality content.
Awesome video! Thank you for the recommendations. I could not understand why I was moving backward instead of forward when I was kicking. Yes I am a runner with stiff ankles. I will do what you are saying and see what happen. Currently I can swim faster when not kicking, I guess this is pretty bad! 😭😭😭!
Outstanding video and there was so much valuable information. I definitely be saving this video for future reference. Thanks again and I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos!!!
Don't overcomplicate it while your trying to learn, just do the ones I show you in the video first and when you master them , you can try more exercises
I like putting feet in bucket of hot water before the stretches. While feet in water do a shoulder routine with 2kg weights. Not swim specific but feels doing something. The hot water seems to soften all the ligaments and tendons in the feet and ankles. So many of them
I recently discovered how much pronating your feet as you kick can help. I am naturally pigeon toed, and have tried to keep my feet pointed straight. Going pigeon toed puts your paddle blade at a more efficient angle for getting some more push from your kick. I do vary cadence and amplitude when kicking. I can t stretch like you do for getting more ankle flexibility, but I can do that stretch from a standing position. leaning against the kitchen counter and stretching calf on one leg and toes/ankle with the other. Do you put much focus/effort on the up kick? I get better push with that if my ankle stays more stiff...
Being pigeon toed for freestyle kicking is a huge advantage. So youve been blessed there. Good question with the up kick, in the early stages of learning i wouldn't focus on it too much rather put your focus on kicking from the hip and whipping the ankle. One you master that you will have more control and then can proceed to add extra propulsion by zoning in on the upkick.. Kicking with fins can help develop a feel for this and also vertical kicking like I do in the video. I wish you all the best amd let me know if you have any more questions. BTW nice TH-cam channel
What I notice most with those using fins is that they tend to use 'runner's foot' position as in slightly flexed, and this includes good swimmers. At present, I am putting in about 1500 yards per day on just kicking as that is my weakest point. Just about up to good enough condition to where I am ready to get back to fins. I will make sure that when I get to them, I keep proper form... I know I am doing my kicking correctly as hip flexors are sore, as well as gleuts and lower back from the up kick. I have to stretch after my kicking laps... I figure that working both up and down kicks is an action/reaction thing where they help each other. Lots of Tai Chi practice and 'spiral energy'. I found out about the pronating being good from a dolphin kick comparison video (theraceclub) where they hooked 4 different swimmers up to some electronic gadgets. One young woman actually generated more thrust on her up kick, mostly from pointing her toes. No one has really explained how being pronated helps. As near as I can tell, it is the out side surface of your foot slopes towards your little toe. If you extend straight behind you, that sloped surface pushes to the side. If you pronate, then that surface pushes out at about a 45 degree angle... Oh, my favorite stroke is over arm side stroke, the way they used to swim it when it was a competition stroke. Side stroke rules, breast stroke drools.... Only record, at present, is 1:02.5 for 100 yards, set in 1895, almost 125 years ago..... I always was kind of different...
Sounds like you really study the sport, just dont over complicate it in your mind. Its easy to do that with swimming. Keeping a simple straight forward logic in this sport will help improve your skills quicker. KIcking for 1500m straight is impressive, if you can do that, no reason why you cant bring in the fins.
I have that engineer's syndrome, 'if it ain't broke, take it apart and fix it anyway.' Some of us have it worse than others. So many small things contribute to reducing drag. It seems like every time I get habits formed, I see some thing in a video that I have to try..... Always room for improvement...@@siskatrainingsystems
I guess I should add to this.... I am one who tends to spend a lot of time on basics. For the kicking, I am having to unlearn a bunch of old bad habits. The 'crack the whip' action on both flutter and dolphin kick is very subtle, both for the down/front part of the kick, and for the up/back part of the kick. I haven't done it to the point where I don't have to think about it to make it happen.... Like my Kung Fu teacher said, '10,000 more times!' But teacher, that is what you said last time.... I have seen several videos that show this flexed to 90 degrees type kick to illustrate the importance of foot angles, but it only shows a small part of the problem. I would say that 90%+ of the swimmers in the pool have 'runner's foot'. This is the ankle slightly flexed, to maybe 10 to 20 degrees. You still move forward with this kick, even though the down stroke provides negative thrust. The up kick is providing all of the push. This is one under coached concept I see because people really don't think about the up kick as a source of push. I am about ready to put on the fins to practice my scissor kick, but using the back stroke flutter kick, and flexing to about 70 degrees, which is about the angle used for the dolphin kick people....
Well, I have been putting a lot of laps focusing on the up kick, getting the whip, both up and down (insert Devo here, you whip it, whip it good!) and pronation/going pigeon toed.A little time with the stubby fins too... With just enough push off the wall to get going, it used to take me 55 to 60 seconds to go the length of a 25 yard pool. Pretty bad I know. Well, I hadn't timed myself in quite a while. I swam a full lap, again, gentle push off the wall, in 1:30 with 50 or so kicks per length. Now, I still have a long way to go, but getting the feel of it. The pronation really helps if you can't point your toes all the way straight, or beyond..... Maybe I will be able to keep up with this pretty gal in the lane next to me....... Eventually....
Well, 3 years later, length of the pool in 35 seconds with flutter kick, 30 seconds with dolphin kick. Not sure I will get much faster. Covid put me a year behind in my training.... I still prefer the old school over arm side stroke. It was dropped from competition prior to the 1900 Olympics, and they substituted the much slower breast stroke because 'it was more gentlemanly because there was less splashing'.... Only record was set in 1895, 100 yards in 1:02.5. Freestyle record was 1:01.2 or some thing like that. As near as I can tell, it is much faster than breast stroke, faster than backstroke, and may be able to keep up with the fly. Similar to the 1 arm pull drill, 4 beat flutter kick, and under arm does a breast stroke pull out stroke. Long axis stroke, and flip turns...... I almost forgot how to swim freestyle.... It isn't as fast as freestyle though, but one coach told me it looked like I was swimming freestyle on my side. The scissor kick is far slower, lots of thrust, but lots of drag, and makes it a kick and glide stroke. Arms move more like backstroke, kind of opposite of each other, and it closely resembles the gallop style of freestyle. Almost no glide. Figured it out after learning the combat swim side stroke.
Omg that was amazing. I just started swimming lessons and i am having a brutal time with kicking. The floppy ankle explains much!! Thank you!! Im subscribed. If you make an app, count on me throwing money at you.
Very informative video, including the ankle flexibility exercices , which I've been searching for a long time before, without great results. So thank you Siska. Also, I've always been wondering about the synchronisation between legs and arms for freestyle? Except for the two beat kick, for which it is obvious, is there a special synchronisation of the legs for greater balance or speed? Would you already have done a video for that?
Thanks for watching. I can tell you are really studying the sport , which is the right attitude. But its easy to over think in swimming. Dont think about how to sync the arms and legs this will happen naturally. Rather focus on keeping your body long and strong in the water . Keeping the body in one plane moving from one side to the other in unison. Crawling through the water. This is why freestyle is called the front crawl. Watch my video on common issues and easy fixes in freestyle as well as the video on how to stop the legs from sinking.
Gooday! Ilike that sounds what is Title of the music my friend? Because i used that as my background music in my Video Reels during my Swimmng tutorial .
HI !! great video. thank you for taking the time to make it. i have a question about how to apply this to kicking with long fins ( freediving) when we don't want to rotate the hips when we kick and keeping the legs as straight as possible ?
Thanks for watching! Have to admit I don't know much about freediving, but with that said to generate the most power you would still have to initiate the kick action from the hip...the legs should stay straight regardless even in normal swimming with just a very minor bend at the knee...to keep the hips as still as possible you will really need a strong core to compensate..hope that helps
Yannis Dektorakis had a book on freediving that discusses finning technique with long freediving fins. If you get the "sample" of the book on Kindle, the sample includes the bit about finning
Hey Guys! If you want to purchase a swim analysis of your swim stroke by me personally , email me at lukas.stsytems@gmail.com for more details. Payments can be made securely through paypal and it will involve you sending me a simple phone video of you swimming. In return you will receive a video back with your footage edited and analyzed with my commentary and recommendations for improvement . Happy swimming!
I was one of those people not moving at all while I was kicking. It was so embarrassing that I stopped trying. After practice everything on this video, I did focus on stretching for few weeks first, now I feel so much more confident when I go swimming. I am proud to say that I can move pretty fast just kicking. Thank you so much for this video!!!
Me too.
This is so nice to read! Thank you and glad you are a fast kicker now!
Omg now I know I’m not alone… I can’t move, and I even move backward when I kick… I must watch this then….
Same
I started to learn freestyle one year ago (I'm 63), I do manage to swim, but my kick is terrible. This was so well explained in the video and I'm stretching every morning now. I want try to achieve a better kick, this was the best video so far in how to do it, thanks!
Bruh, you just demystified my sinking legs nightmare! My swimming teacher needs to watch this video and subscribe to your channel like I did! Standing ovation!
Thank you! How's your progress? We have switched this channel back to active so expect consistent videos!
Honestly I pay hundreds of pounds for swimming and I am not taught these BASICS! I have been learning to swim since January!!!! Have been to 4 swimming teachers. Really tricky when you're an adult. I start with a new swimming teacher next Wednesday. I think I am not kicking from my hips? I think I am using my legs? Really unsure but sometimes it feels like you're wriggling? Is that what kicking from hips is? Your videos are really a life saver. Thank you.
Just beginning to learn at 40. I have the same issue you described. Wondering if the kick from hip is like cycling motion with legs straight and ankle flex or it’s a push motion from the top of the hip - Swing or a kick 😢
Just home from my first ever swimming lesson at the age of 65. Never too late! I looked up kicking, as I was pretty terrible at it. Found it hard to get my legs high in the water. Maybe lack of flexibility at hips and back? This excellent video is a real eye opener though. Thank you. I’ll practice some of these exercises before my next lesson!
Your instructions and drills are spot on and help people like me who wish to swim smoothly! Thank you!
So they glad they helped! Thanks for watching!
Most valuable Siska, I have been struggling with kicking for years. I nearly watched every video on internet and read about kicking. This is the best video that is up to the point. The moment I began doing the exercises I saw my weak points. Thanks with all means.
Your most welcome!
Thank you Luka I finally found a helpful advice. I used to wonder why I would get tired of kicking and kicking and after 10 minutes kicking I sank like a rock. Come on guys we can do this! And thank you again man I hope one day I can be able to get to the other side of the pool.
My pleasure thanks for watching! Wish you all the best!
Omg! This is exactly what I was looking for!!! All my teachers have this long experience swimming so this little details can’t explained it to the beginners as me. Thanks 🙏
Great video. I'm just learning and after 3 lessons, I'm still that person kicking in the same place for 24 hours. :-) can't wait to try some of your suggestions. Thanks!
Thanks! It will work just be patient with yourself👌
I'm in this situation after 4 lessons
omg same here! i can float and do the basics, also on lesson 3, but for the life of me cannot move anywhere
Same after 7 lessons
Same after 10 lessons 😭
This is the best explanation I have seen. I have today for the first time in 20 years managed to make proper progress in the pool kicking.
And this is one of the best types of comments I can receive! Wonderful news that the video helped you to make some breakthroughs with your kicking, may this be the first of many more breakthroughs in your swimming! God bless you
Ur trainers are shit bro
@@stormreede1352 haha what trainers ???
@@stormreede1352 You meant Charles Mossman's trainers? Because I guess 20 years for perfecting the kicking skill is unthinkable. I'm learning to swim now and really don't want to take that long.
I had surgery, can t swim for 6 weeks. Watching this, i can' t wait to start again. Thanks!!!
Holy cow! Wish I had seen this video months ago. This is exactly what I needed! Why haven't I see videos like this anywhere else? Thank you!
This is the best and most comprehensive video on how to improve your flutter kick. Great job Lucas!
Thanks for the kind words and thank you for watching! Stay tuned more to come ;) wish you all the best
i am an age group competitive swimmer and coach. My first impression was "this guy will just speak..." , but when i watched and waited more,i noticed that i should stress more on some essential drills, and use your way, thank you.
Glad you found it helpful, thanks for watching!
You are the best!
I love bouncing off the bottom of the pool and kicking vertically.
I am 86 and I give swimming tips to all age swimmers. You can make a person so happy by improving his swim capability.
Thanks for your tips. Get swimming tips from the Siska Swimming Academy. “.
Thank you. Watched tens of TH-cam videos on kicking. This is the most practical.
Thank you!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am actually getting the gist of it now.
U made me realize my kicking problem.. my feet are not floppy! I have stiff ankles. Will try your exercise. Thanks bro!
yes its very important, my pleasure !
Thanks Lucas! I did not realize the motion came from the hip!
This is super helpful. I'm a novice freestyle swimmer. I can do 1K in about 26 minutes. (Still no flip turns.) My kicking is weak and I believe I can really bring this time down with these techniques. I'll keep you posted. Mahalo for posting this.
How have you been doing in the water since this comment?
@@tatortot6730 don't worry, you will conquer the water don't give up!
This already feels like the best kicking tutorial on TH-cam. I’ll try it tomorrow!
Thank you! How's your progress coming? Any questions?
Really helpful video. I'm very new to swimming at a older age. Swimming has become my passion and I'm always looking to improve. I really appreciate the way you break down every step. Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for watching! Stay tuned for more vids and please let me know what videos I should make next
this video explains better than any other professional swimming channel
Good advice on ankle flexibility and how to have straighter but relaxed legs and floppy feet. And great drill ideas.
I teach swimming and also noticed how so many folks have this issue of tight ankles and no floppy feet. The other fequent issues I have seen is locking knees up or the opposite issue of bending at knees too much.
So many issues to watch out for when evaluating and correcting swim technique to produce efficient swim techniques.
Thanks for the kind words...yes so many things to think about in swimming, that's why my goal is to simplify it and make it easy for swimmers ...wish you all the best in your coaching
This is the video that I was looking for! Thank you :D
Finally! An explanation in English!
Cool dude. Thank you. My swimming has improved dramatically applying TH-cam swim lessons.
This is good coaching. I lol at the swimmer who hadnt moved 24 hours later as that is me. I have swum for 25 years but I don't use a kick as I found I was dead after a length, as you say, but I try to flutter my legs a bit to try to stop them dropping in the water and so acting as a break against me. My catch and pull is improving as I am reaching straight forward from the shoulder, gliding till I complete the other arm stroke , keeping fingers and hand like a padel blade , stretching and rotating to get more power from the pectorals as I push the water behind me, and gliding like Grahame Thorpe. I don't know how to kick or tumble turn or dolphin kick in the turn yet.
Well, I have managed to take about another 10 seconds off my lap time with the flutter kick. Some thing I figured out but haven't seen any one teach is that with the 3 beat kick (3 kicks per arm stroke, or 6 beats per arm cycle), the first kick is a 'transition kick' when moving/rotating from one side to the other, and the next 2 kicks are more of a scissor kick. So, in your clips here when using the kick board, the kicks are going pretty much straight up and down with little or no hip rotation. This means you can't raise your heel and lower leg out of the water to get that about 15 degree flex to get your oar/foot in a good position for generating thrust on the down part of the kick because if you do, then you are kicking air. This means to get that 15 degree angle, you have to flex more at the hip. After the transition kick, with your hips rotated at that 35 or so degree angle, it becomes more of a scissor kick, very similar to that you do in your vertical kicking exercises here, or with the totally on your side kicking exercise. The legs move above/past the center of the line of your body, and since you are turned sideways, your lower leg doesn't come out of the water, and you need less hip flex, which creates more drag, to get to that 15 degree knee flex to get the good thrust angle. I first noticed this scissor kick in a slow motion of Katie Ledecky swimming where one foot was up and down, and then the other went into scissor kick. After watching a bunch of videos of elite swimmers, they all do the same thing. Being a side stroke fanatic, the scissor kick comes more naturally to me, and I practice it a lot....Side stroke rules, breast stroke drools.....
Well done , keep it up!
I also have that stiffed ankles.I realized it after watching your video. I ll practice the exercises you taught to loosen up my ankles. Thanks a lot😊
You got this!
Wow great video, thank you for posting it!
Not only was I stuck in one place but at some point I started moving backwards when kicking. This was very helpful! 🙏🙏🙏
Man if i started going backwards I’d cry. I too was kicking in place and it was demoralizing
by far the best video i have seen, very informative, very practical, very helpful! thank you🙏
Thank you! Hope you stick around with us , plenty more stuff on this channel that I’m confident you will find interesting
Thank you SO MUCH! This video gives me so much hope that I'll actually be able to learn this! You explained everything very clearly too and in a way that makes me feel way less terrible about how awful my kicks currently are :)
This is the most helpful video I have ever seen. This kick technique just MAKES SENSE! Thank you! I can't wait to try it tomorrow in the pool!
Thank you for the kind words , all the best in your training!
For the first time in my life I went FORWARD while kicking. Imagine that! It works it really does! More to practice of course, but what a revelation. Thank you!!
Best video kicking for crawl ever!! Already sure that everything is ok now 👍🏿
Thank you so much for this explanation - my kicks were making me go backwards. Now I have hope that I can correct this by following your suggestions.
Wish you all the best you can do it!
Finally, I found what I'm looking for! Thanks for sharing. Really hope I could them all
Thanks! Wish you all the best
I’m glad I found this video! I was staying in one place as well. Eventually I finally got it but by then I was tired lol. It’s actually a really relaxing kick once you relax your body. I started by floating on my back. I realized I was too tensed up. I relaxed a bit to start kicking and looked to my side I could see myself moving faster and got excited 😂! I felt like a fish. I’ll be doing these exercises today to see if it improves my speed. I tried vertical kicking as well and boy did it work my thighs. I can stay up maybe 10 seconds but it’s a struggle! I mess up by forgetting to scull and start sinking 😂! I’m confident I’ll get it though.
Great stuff keep it up!
By far one of the best videos I watched about kicking
Really appreciate those kind words...many more videos like that on this channel...hope you stay with us🙏
definitely gonna try and share you my experience, been kicking but couldnt move forward!
Really good video, ive been using paddles and learned that way, but I'll defo be using all of what you mentionned there
Glad it helped, do you have any other swim questions?
Great Info. Can't wait to get back in the pool tomorrow morning.
thanks for watching! It will work, wish you all the best
You are an example of a great instructor.
Thank you!
These are great exercises! Thank you! I have some students who really need to work on their kicks and this is going to really help them. Thank you.
appreciate the kind words, glad to be of help
Excellent video-much, much better than the (many) others I’ve viewed as I’ve worked to improve my kick. The combination of a clear explanation of why a kick isn’t working, the elements of a good kick, and simple exercises is so helpful. Appreciate such quality content.
Appreciate the kind words, thanks for watching!
I think I watched all of ur videos and keep up the good great fantastic brilliant explanations perfect vids
Rally appreciate that , thank you!
Awesome video! Thank you for the recommendations. I could not understand why I was moving backward instead of forward when I was kicking. Yes I am a runner with stiff ankles. I will do what you are saying and see what happen. Currently I can swim faster when not kicking, I guess this is pretty bad! 😭😭😭!
Thank you for the demonstrations. I can’t wait to try it. 😅
Clear & accurate instruction
Thank you sir 🙏🏼
Excellent kicking tech. U made it easy Siska.
Outstanding video and there was so much valuable information. I definitely be saving this video for future reference. Thanks again and I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos!!!
Thanks for watching and for the kind words, if there are any areas of swimming you would like us to make a video on please let us know👍
Well done Siska!! A Big help understanding the physical exercise in kicking - I understand it now - time to practice - thank you very much!!
My pleasure, how's your progress?
Thank you! You are one of best coaches
Appreciate the kind words! Let me know how you progress 💪
Good video. You have explained very well.
Thanks so much, i was really struggling, well explained.
Can you please tell more excersize for full kick movement using hips?
Don't overcomplicate it while your trying to learn, just do the ones I show you in the video first and when you master them , you can try more exercises
The first video that teach the best way to move the ankles.
Thanks for watching!
Excellent video..thank you so much
Your welcome!
awesome angles of educational swimming videos big like
My ankles seem like breaking when I try to stretch them. Will keep doing these exercises at home and in the pool. Thanks for tips.
Thanks for simplify this steps.
My Pleasure! Stay tuned for more videos ;)
I like putting feet in bucket of hot water before the stretches. While feet in water do a shoulder routine with 2kg weights. Not swim specific but feels doing something. The hot water seems to soften all the ligaments and tendons in the feet and ankles. So many of them
Sounds great!
Wow. I am going to try this tommorow. Because i am the 24 hours guy just now
I also have the Ikea Lack coffee table so basically I am halfway there.
Hahah nice😎👌
all you need now is that Mexican blanket
I recently discovered how much pronating your feet as you kick can help. I am naturally pigeon toed, and have tried to keep my feet pointed straight. Going pigeon toed puts your paddle blade at a more efficient angle for getting some more push from your kick. I do vary cadence and amplitude when kicking. I can t stretch like you do for getting more ankle flexibility, but I can do that stretch from a standing position. leaning against the kitchen counter and stretching calf on one leg and toes/ankle with the other. Do you put much focus/effort on the up kick? I get better push with that if my ankle stays more stiff...
Being pigeon toed for freestyle kicking is a huge advantage. So youve been blessed there. Good question with the up kick, in the early stages of learning i wouldn't focus on it too much rather put your focus on kicking from the hip and whipping the ankle. One you master that you will have more control and then can proceed to add extra propulsion by zoning in on the upkick.. Kicking with fins can help develop a feel for this and also vertical kicking like I do in the video. I wish you all the best amd let me know if you have any more questions. BTW nice TH-cam channel
What I notice most with those using fins is that they tend to use 'runner's foot' position as in slightly flexed, and this includes good swimmers. At present, I am putting in about 1500 yards per day on just kicking as that is my weakest point. Just about up to good enough condition to where I am ready to get back to fins. I will make sure that when I get to them, I keep proper form... I know I am doing my kicking correctly as hip flexors are sore, as well as gleuts and lower back from the up kick. I have to stretch after my kicking laps... I figure that working both up and down kicks is an action/reaction thing where they help each other. Lots of Tai Chi practice and 'spiral energy'. I found out about the pronating being good from a dolphin kick comparison video (theraceclub) where they hooked 4 different swimmers up to some electronic gadgets. One young woman actually generated more thrust on her up kick, mostly from pointing her toes. No one has really explained how being pronated helps. As near as I can tell, it is the out side surface of your foot slopes towards your little toe. If you extend straight behind you, that sloped surface pushes to the side. If you pronate, then that surface pushes out at about a 45 degree angle... Oh, my favorite stroke is over arm side stroke, the way they used to swim it when it was a competition stroke. Side stroke rules, breast stroke drools.... Only record, at present, is 1:02.5 for 100 yards, set in 1895, almost 125 years ago..... I always was kind of different...
Sounds like you really study the sport, just dont over complicate it in your mind. Its easy to do that with swimming. Keeping a simple straight forward logic in this sport will help improve your skills quicker. KIcking for 1500m straight is impressive, if you can do that, no reason why you cant bring in the fins.
I have that engineer's syndrome, 'if it ain't broke, take it apart and fix it anyway.' Some of us have it worse than others. So many small things contribute to reducing drag. It seems like every time I get habits formed, I see some thing in a video that I have to try..... Always room for improvement...@@siskatrainingsystems
I guess I should add to this.... I am one who tends to spend a lot of time on basics. For the kicking, I am having to unlearn a bunch of old bad habits. The 'crack the whip' action on both flutter and dolphin kick is very subtle, both for the down/front part of the kick, and for the up/back part of the kick. I haven't done it to the point where I don't have to think about it to make it happen.... Like my Kung Fu teacher said, '10,000 more times!' But teacher, that is what you said last time.... I have seen several videos that show this flexed to 90 degrees type kick to illustrate the importance of foot angles, but it only shows a small part of the problem. I would say that 90%+ of the swimmers in the pool have 'runner's foot'. This is the ankle slightly flexed, to maybe 10 to 20 degrees. You still move forward with this kick, even though the down stroke provides negative thrust. The up kick is providing all of the push. This is one under coached concept I see because people really don't think about the up kick as a source of push. I am about ready to put on the fins to practice my scissor kick, but using the back stroke flutter kick, and flexing to about 70 degrees, which is about the angle used for the dolphin kick people....
Yeah man, imma give this a go. Thank you.
Wow I will try this to help my kicking I have swimming lessons but this kicking practice will help me thank you for this video😘
My pleasure all the best
i just started swimming for about 1month now. thanks for the help
Thank you!!!! I’m one of the original lily pads and now I’m excited to become a motor boat. I think I understand what I need to do. 🛥🛥🛥
Well, I have been putting a lot of laps focusing on the up kick, getting the whip, both up and down (insert Devo here, you whip it, whip it good!) and pronation/going pigeon toed.A little time with the stubby fins too... With just enough push off the wall to get going, it used to take me 55 to 60 seconds to go the length of a 25 yard pool. Pretty bad I know. Well, I hadn't timed myself in quite a while. I swam a full lap, again, gentle push off the wall, in 1:30 with 50 or so kicks per length. Now, I still have a long way to go, but getting the feel of it. The pronation really helps if you can't point your toes all the way straight, or beyond..... Maybe I will be able to keep up with this pretty gal in the lane next to me....... Eventually....
Well, 3 years later, length of the pool in 35 seconds with flutter kick, 30 seconds with dolphin kick. Not sure I will get much faster. Covid put me a year behind in my training....
I still prefer the old school over arm side stroke. It was dropped from competition prior to the 1900 Olympics, and they substituted the much slower breast stroke because 'it was more gentlemanly because there was less splashing'.... Only record was set in 1895, 100 yards in 1:02.5. Freestyle record was 1:01.2 or some thing like that. As near as I can tell, it is much faster than breast stroke, faster than backstroke, and may be able to keep up with the fly. Similar to the 1 arm pull drill, 4 beat flutter kick, and under arm does a breast stroke pull out stroke. Long axis stroke, and flip turns...... I almost forgot how to swim freestyle.... It isn't as fast as freestyle though, but one coach told me it looked like I was swimming freestyle on my side. The scissor kick is far slower, lots of thrust, but lots of drag, and makes it a kick and glide stroke. Arms move more like backstroke, kind of opposite of each other, and it closely resembles the gallop style of freestyle. Almost no glide. Figured it out after learning the combat swim side stroke.
Superb Siska.
Thanks!
Thanks for making this video!
Your welcome!
Omg that was amazing. I just started swimming lessons and i am having a brutal time with kicking. The floppy ankle explains much!! Thank you!! Im subscribed. If you make an app, count on me throwing money at you.
Very useful. Thank you so much siska!
It’s hard for me to distinguish if I’m kicking with my hips or knees. I’ll make sure to pay special attention in my swim today! Thanks, dude!
Thank you very much for your usefull instruction 👍
Great instructions
Thanks for watching! Hope it helps
thank you for teaching and sharing.
Awesome video! Thanks for breaking it down! Can u do a video on better breathing technique for front crawl
Such as a great video! I’m going to practice it today. And wait more
Thank you
great explanations, very detailed and very efficient
Nice video my friend, thank you 🙏
Thank you! Cheers!
thank for the great video- masters swimmer, slow kicker
thank you so much for wonderful Video. it really helps me for swimming
My pleasure, hope it helps!
these videos are saving me hundreds of dollars in teacher fees. I will learn to swim on my own.
Thanks for watching!
@@siskatrainingsystems your welcome.
Best video on kicking!!!!
Thank you !
Thsi is the best video honestly. 😊 Now i kick and not stay at same position
That's great, thanks for watching!
Thank you very much..
From Sri-Lanka....
Thank you
After a lot of searching,one sensible video
appreciate the compliment, look to make more videos that will meet your approval , stay tuned!
Very informative video, including the ankle flexibility exercices , which I've been searching for a long time before, without great results. So thank you Siska.
Also, I've always been wondering about the synchronisation between legs and arms for freestyle? Except for the two beat kick, for which it is obvious, is there a special synchronisation of the legs for greater balance or speed? Would you already have done a video for that?
Instead of balance, I meant stability, sorry for my english.
Thanks for watching. I can tell you are really studying the sport , which is the right attitude. But its easy to over think in swimming. Dont think about how to sync the arms and legs this will happen naturally. Rather focus on keeping your body long and strong in the water . Keeping the body in one plane moving from one side to the other in unison. Crawling through the water. This is why freestyle is called the front crawl. Watch my video on common issues and easy fixes in freestyle as well as the video on how to stop the legs from sinking.
@@siskatrainingsystems Ok, l ll watch these. Tkx for these pieces of advice.
@@siskatrainingsystems I’ll try, my dad wants me to learn swimming
Thanks for sharing this so useful tips.
You're the man!!! Finally a video that actually helped me
Wow cool! Thank you ☺️
Gooday! Ilike that sounds what is Title of the music my friend? Because i used that as my background music in my Video Reels during my Swimmng tutorial .
Unfortunately I no longer have access to this music, wish I could help
Thank you for your instruction
HI !! great video. thank you for taking the time to make it. i have a question about how to apply this to kicking with long fins ( freediving) when we don't want to rotate the hips when we kick and keeping the legs as straight as possible ?
Thanks for watching! Have to admit I don't know much about freediving, but with that said to generate the most power you would still have to initiate the kick action from the hip...the legs should stay straight regardless even in normal swimming with just a very minor bend at the knee...to keep the hips as still as possible you will really need a strong core to compensate..hope that helps
Yannis Dektorakis had a book on freediving that discusses finning technique with long freediving fins. If you get the "sample" of the book on Kindle, the sample includes the bit about finning
I love this! Gonna do this today! I need a Breakthrough in my kicking!
Thank you i will practice this tomorrow
great let me know how it goes
Good explanations
No wonder I was swimming in place lol
Thank you for such a good explanation!
How's your progress coming? Any questions?