Read copy below or CLICK HERE to view PDF with pictures.
CHAPTER 47 Breaststroke Kicking – not a frog, wedge, whip, squeeze, or by any other name but breaststroke
Do all of these in a wall brace with your arms fully extended directly facing the wall; prepare for thrust to protect your teeth from hitting the wall.
235. Do 3–5 “V” Flippers with Your Arms Fully Extended in the Neutral Position on the Wall
[The sequence pictures did not transfer with the written copy but are slotted in here]
Feel the muscle tension on your lower leg as you saw it before on the deck. Point your toes feet together, and then flex your ankles back up so your toes point up towards your kneecaps. Make your toe point (plantar flexion) and ankle flexion (dorsi flexion) multiple times with your eyes closed to feel it, and know you are doing the pattern correctly.
236. Make the “V” as You Bring Your Legs Up and Back Like a Piston
[The sequence pictures did not transfer with the written copy but are slotted in here]
Form the “V” as you bring both legs up together like doing a full squat and keeping your balance. Avoid only bringing up your heels, as they will form a brake to create more resistance. Beginners who bring their heels up out of the water also point their toes and forget to flex their ankles to make the “V”. Neither should you focus on only bringing your knees up. The piston action is like doing a squat you can do on the deck and stand back up without losing your balance. This keeps your legs closer to the imaginary midline to reduce resistance. Practice moving your legs up and back together in the “V” position until you master this step.
236. Make the “V”, Bring Your Legs Up Together, and Hold in that Position to Do the Spread 3–5 Times
[The sequence pictures did not transfer with the written copy but are slotted in here]
This step adds on to the two previous steps in the sequence. After your legs are up together and your feet are in the “V”, spread apart only your heels while keeping your thighs together. Then move your heels back together and apart to feel the rotation of your lower leg outside of your upper leg or knee. Condition this feeling by spreading apart your heels, and holding them apart for several seconds to feel the muscle tension in your hip rotators.
Later, floating on your stomach, you chain these three sub routines together. With loss of vision, you put your kick into the ready position based on the feeling cues you conditioned from your muscles. Like aiming a gun and getting ready to pull the trigger, use your muscles to feel the tension and position of your feet and legs. When ready, say “kick” to yourself, and drive your heels straight back as hard as you would to stomp on a bug or jump up in the air. Your feet will come together automatically into your glide position.
Make sure you stop at the end of each kick. This resets your mental sequence of events to learn the kick.