<
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:
[email protected]...
> On Dec 4, 1:29 am, mwsmith <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Steve Freides wrote:
>> > "Pat" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> >news:[email protected]...
>> >> Okay, today I saw an interesting sight at the local pool. Guy was
>> >> wearing a snorkel, doing the breast stroke with his arms, and his
>> >> feet
>> >> were encased in a funky round fin as he moved his feet in sort of
>> >> a
>> >> butterfly stroke.
>>
>> >> This must have been really difficult for him, because he could
>> >> only
>> >> manage 25 meters before having to stop and rest. Have any of you
>> >> swim
>> >> coaches had experience with this large round fin? Is it to make a
>> >> person used to the motion a butterfly stroke requires, or does it
>> >> work
>> >> on certain target muscles?
>>
>> >> Pat in TX
>>
>> > Monofins exist in a variety of sizes and shapes, although I can't
>> > say
>> > I've seen one I'd call round.
>>
>> > I bought kid-sized long fins and donated them to my Y to use when
>> > teaching butterfly (and, of course, other swim teachers can use
>> > them as
>> > well). When I was taught fly as an adult, one of the first things
>> > my
>> > instructor did was have me get long fins - it magnifies everything
>> > about
>> > your dolphin kick in a good way.
>>
>> > One problem the monofin fixes that regular long fins don't is
>> > preventing
>> > the legs from moving separately. If I had monofins, I think I'd
>> > use
>> > them to teach fly. I imagine a Google on "monofin" would find some
>> > interesting reading. I just tried - the Wiki isn't terribly
>> > helpful.
>>
>> I think the terminology is important here. Swimmers should not be
>> using
>> skin diving fins for dolphin kick training because they are too long.
>> It
>> goes without saying that scuba fins are out too. Swimming fins are
>> significantly shorter than skin diving fins, but they are longer
>> than,
>> for example, Zoomers, and other training fins.
>>
>> These are scuba and skin diving fins. Too long for dolphin kick
>> training:
>>
>> http://www.scubapro.com/#,en_US;contenthandler,12942,
>>
>> These are swimming fins:
>>
>> http://www.scubapro.com/#,en_US;contenthandler,14072,
>>
>> There are other popular models, including Churchill, Duck Feet, etc.
>>
>> http://www.waveblasters.com/finschu...cs.com/shop/catalog/Inventory+Close-Outs+Spec...
>
> I doubt that too many swimmers use scuba or diving fins. They are too
> expensive and probably too big and bulky for pools. Plus they are
> usually sold in specialty stores. Most swimmers that I've seen use
> snorkeling fins that you can buy for about $15 to $30 at walmart, or a
> sporting goods store. Others use the swimmers' fins that you buy at
> specialty swim stores, such as zoomers.
>
> What Pat was referring to, I think, were monofins. Monofins are used
> along with or without snorkels for pool speed competitions. They are a
> single fin with two slots for both feet. They make you look like a
> mermaid. large monofins are also used deep diving competitions. were
> divers don't have to maneuver, but rather swim straight down and
> straight up on an elevator. Monofins are specialty fins for speed w/o
> maneuverability. They are no good for scuba or freediving.
>
> I would think that monofins could be good for teaching butterfly.
> Monofins force a good body undulation. They essentially reproduce a
> dolphin kick. Body undulation starting with the stomach is essential
> in butterfly. If you ever look at deep diving competitions, those guys
> have a incredible undulation, and that is the secret of good
> butterfly.
Regarding your last paragraph about body undulation, yes, I agree. One
thing I've heard said, but I confess I've never been able to get the
hang of it in my own butterfly swimming, is that good fly swimmer work
the kick in both directions, not just snapping the feet down. I imagine
I get some propulsion from coming back up but I know I don't have that
truly beautiful, dolphin-like undulation I've seen in the best fly
swimmer - it is a wonder to watch when someone gets it right.
And of course we are talking about swim fins, not scuba. I took a quick
look online, and the places I saw often label them as swim fins. I
couldn't find a scuba fin for sale at any swimming store.
The way I teach it is starting at the head and shoulders. I try to get
them to load up the posterior chain (back, hips, hamstrings) by getting
the chest down and the hips up. My running joke with them is that I'm
not happy if I don't see butts bobbing up and down in the water, and
getting their hips out of the water does seem to help. From that
"loaded" position, the idea I teach is to snap in a wave, starting with
chest up, moving through hips down and finally to feet down as almost an
afterthought to the hip motion. I'll have to say that getting people
who can't do fly to actually do it is probably the most satisfying part
of my swimming teaching since so many people come to the class thinking
they're never going to be able to do it.
-S-
