Thursday, 14 November 2019

Introduction

This blog post is meant to share one coaches ideas about underwater fly kicking,or what has become known as the "Fifth Competitive Stroke". I do not know everything about this great tool, but have been looking at several research papers that address the underwater kicking. I hope you read it and can use the information to formulate your approach to this skill. Enjoy.

Coaching Underwaters-The "Fifth Stroke" in Swimming.

With the advent, or rather the adoption of underwater butterfly kicking starting in the late 1970s, there have been a large number of research papers published about what is considered to be the "fifth stroke" in competitive swimming. The underwater fly kick typically was utilized by those athletes swimming the backstroke and then butterfly strokes. From Jesse Vassallo, who is credited as being the first swimmer to use it in competition, down to swimmers like David Berkoff Neil Walker, Lenny Krayzelberg, Misty Hyman, Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte and Michale Phelps each have used the underwater fly kick to help them win numerous titles and Olympic Medals of many colors.

Since Jesse Vassallo, the underwater fly kick has been refined, as needed due to rule changes by FINA and US Swimming in an effort to safe guard swimmers from pushing the limits of their breathe holding capacities. Today the maximum distance an athlete may travel is fifteen meters under water off any one wall of the pool. Today competitive pools must be marked with a well defined 15 meter mater at both ends of the pool, and lane lines typically have a different colored, or a series of different colored doughnuts to clearly show the 15 meter mark.

Researchers, like Peter Clothier et al in their research entitled "Underwater Kicking Following the Freestyle Tumble Turn" (2000) looked extensively at the value and validity of using the underwater kick. Two significant findings by these researchers were that: 1. There is less decrease of velocity using the underwater fly kick compared to using the freestyle kick off the start and the turns, 2. The velocity generated off the start and the turns is sustained more with the underwater fly kick in comparison to the freestyle kick. The primary strokes that the underwater fly kick is used in backstroke, butterfly and now more freestylers are using the underwater fly kick. Caleb Dressel uses the underwater kick in all freestyle events and does so very effectively. He is dominating in the 50 free and uses the underwater fly kick to set the pace for his race of his start and turn.

Questions for consideration

1.  In what events should the underwater fly kick be used?
2.  Can the fly kick be effectively used in events longer than 100 or 200 yard races?
3.  How do we effectively train for using the underwater fly kick?


Training the Underwater Kick

Since the days of Jesse Vassallo, coaches have typically kept the fly kick reserved for events shorter than 200s. However recently more distance swimmers have begun to use the underwater fly kick to help them maintain tempo and and even stroke count throughout a distance race-500 yards and up. So how do you train to use the underwater fly kick in races. Here are a few recommendations:

1. Work on a swimmer's streamlining and their ability to hold a tight stream line for a given amount of time. Streamlining is a MUST! if a swimmer will not streamline tightly underwater then they will negate the benefit of using the underwater fly kick. A swimmer's streamline must be tight and long like a "torpedo".

2. Work on strengthening the core and increasing flexibility in the hips, lower leg, and the ankles.

3.  Strengthen and build the swimmer's vital capacity. There are multitudes of experience and research to indicate that there real safety concerns with performing/using the underwater fly kick. There have been a number of "shallow water" drownings in recent years due to swimmers passing out while trying to hold their breath during training in performing underwaters. Underwater fly kicking should be used in every freestyle, butterfly and backstroke events. Even the 500 on events can benefit from the use of underwater fly kicking. A great place to start training swimmers to use the underwaters in the longer races is to teach them to get feet beyond flags before their first breath and stroke.

4. In teaching and conditioning swimmers to use underwaters, go by the "Plus 2 Rule". The "Plus 2 Rule" was implemented by Bob Gillett, who was Misty Hyman's coach. he would instruct Misty when she was training her underwaters, or swimming the butterfly, that is she wanted to take 6 underwater kicks in a race in a meet, then she needed to take 8 underwater kicks each wall in practice. Going 8 in practice with great form will translate to going 6 in a meet. Teach, and expect the swimmers to do the fly kick on their side. They will move faster through the water on their side.

5.  Start small and work big. Have athletes start using underwaters for 5, 10, 12.5, 15 meters. Get the swimmers to do these shorter distances correct first before moving on to longer distances. A 100 yard race, or more done correctly to 5 or 10 meters will lead to a swimmer gaining confidence that maybe with a little more work they can go 12.5 and then hit 15 with practice and time.

Sample Underwater Training Sets

Kick Set

1.  24X25 kicking 12.5 to 25 yards off each wall. Start small and get 12.5 down and progressively move to kicking underwater for 25. I usually start by doing one under and one over, and work up to two, or three under and one over. As for send offs I allow enough time for the swimmer to re-gain their breath and then go again.

2.  Kicking and turns combined:  6 kicks at wall+fast turn and then underwater kick to 12.5 or 15. I like to add breakouts on a second round having swimmers going fast to the 15 or 20 and a fast "no wall" flip turn at flags.

3. Kick and Swim set: (my personal favorite)
a.  Kick 12.5 fast+12.5 easy kick building to Kick 12.5+Swim 12.5 fast
b. Do this in the following rounds: 4X50 followed by 2X50 easy then 2X100 followed by 2X50 easy. The set would look like this:  Kick 4X50@45+S 2X50 Easy@45+Kick 2X100@1:30+S2X50 Easy@45 Round 2 would be Kick fast underwater then Swim easy. Round 3 would be fast kick under and fast kick on top, Round 4 would be fast kick under and fast swim over. You can vary the distance underwater from 12.5 to 15. Looks like:

Four rounds: Round 1 Fast Kick 12.5-Kick 12.5 easy both walls, Round 2 Fast kick-Easy swim, Round 3 fast kick-fast kick, Round 4 Fast kick-Fast swim. Great set.
a.  4X50@45
b. 2X50@45 Easy
c. 2X100@1:30
d. 2X50@45 Easy

4. Two, Four, Eight turn 50's, 100's 200's focusing on underwaters, breakouts and distance per stroke.

Advantages of using the Underwater Kick

1. The fly kick off the wall helps to increase and sustain momentum off the walls when properly trained. There is research to support the premise that normal freestyle kicking has more periods of drop in momentum, whereas the fly kick has been shown to sustain and increase momentum.

2.  The fly kick helps in stroke efficiency and aids the swimmer in keeping a consistent stroke count throughout a given race.

3. It is a great tool for the swimmer's tool box to help them move faster through the water and build momentum in a given race.

4. With good conditioning the use of underwaters will help the swimmer put more effort into the legs at the end of the races.