Total Immersion freestyle - how do you do the kick?

tomatoey
tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
edited November 9 in Fitness and Exercise
Haven't tried it yet - I've been watching the vids, and it seems simple in theory: you use your whole body like a kind of torpedo, placed kind of low in the water, and use your leading hand (hand 1) to cut the water, right? And as your other hand (2) nears the leading hand, you kind of pivot your torso, by whipping the leg that's on the same side as your leading hand (1)? Is that close to right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC8ZZZhabp4

I like the idea of minimizing effort and just gliding through the water.

You can see the kick from 0:47

Replies

  • liftnrunlikeagirl
    liftnrunlikeagirl Posts: 9 Member
    No, its using your core to rotate. The kick is obviously happening but your core rotation initiates the power. I took a weekend Total Immersion workshop about 10 years ago and the kick is hardly ever talked about. The best way to learn total immersion swimming is to work progressively through the drills. Trying to imitate to whole stroke TI right off the top is not ideal. In the workshop you spend the entire weekend doing drills. The only whole stroke swimming is at the end after you have mastered the drills.
  • lchadwick2
    lchadwick2 Posts: 49 Member
    For me, the key is timing the pull with the kick on the same side. I do most of my swimming with just the one kick per pull. If I want to give my legs a workout I go to 3 kicks but you still want to focus on the kick leg with the same pull arm. I only get a few seconds faster per 100 M with the 3 kick vs the 1 kick so I just save my legs. But I do triathlons so saving my legs is critical.

    To really get the rhythm down, I suggest a finis front training snorkel. It lets you just swim and focus on the stroke and form without worrying about the breathing.
  • lchadwick2
    lchadwick2 Posts: 49 Member
    I would love to have a TI instructor watch me and critique my stroke but that costs money and right now I'm just working on getting through the swimming. If I get close to a podium in a race that makes money, then I'll spend a little for the coaching.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited December 2014
    liftnrunlikeagirl wrote: »
    No, its using your core to rotate. The kick is obviously happening but your core rotation initiates the power. I took a weekend Total Immersion workshop about 10 years ago and the kick is hardly ever talked about. The best way to learn total immersion swimming is to work progressively through the drills. Trying to imitate to whole stroke TI right off the top is not ideal. In the workshop you spend the entire weekend doing drills. The only whole stroke swimming is at the end after you have mastered the drills.

    I'm not aiming to be a triathlete, I only took swimming lessons up to about age 8, and now very roughly hurl my body across a pool - I mainly want to do this in a slightly more efficient way.

    But I think I get what you're saying, it's all about the core. Thank you.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    lchadwick2 wrote: »
    For me, the key is timing the pull with the kick on the same side. I do most of my swimming with just the one kick per pull. If I want to give my legs a workout I go to 3 kicks but you still want to focus on the kick leg with the same pull arm. I only get a few seconds faster per 100 M with the 3 kick vs the 1 kick so I just save my legs. But I do triathlons so saving my legs is critical.

    To really get the rhythm down, I suggest a finis front training snorkel. It lets you just swim and focus on the stroke and form without worrying about the breathing.

    Thank you!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories