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Coaches Advice
Coaches Corner
#2
What is a tidal wave?
A tidal wave is the crest of a tide
as it moves around the Earth. They are caused by the natural
gravitational pull of the sun and moon as opposed to ocean surface
waves which are caused by wind friction on the surface of the water
(Wikipedia) Gravitational pull is constant and never-changing. It
is a force to be reckoned with because it doesn’t stop. Since
the beginning of creation, tidal waves have been around and it has
not stopped moving. This is us, we are a powerful team. We stick
together, move together, win together, loose together, cheer
together, laugh together; we are a Tidal
Wave.
Butterfly Kick
Technique
In butterfly, there are 2 kicks per stroke. The first
kick, which is longer and typically more powerful than the second
kick, allows the hips to be raised and the shoulders dropped, which
happens to be the catch phase of the arms (beginning of the stroke
when the hands first enter the water). The upbeat of this kick
occurs when the arms are in the propulsion phase. This phase lifts
the shoulders and drops the hips and is the ideal time to take a
breath.
At the end of the propulsion phase the second kick is carried out
to assist the arms in their over water recovery. Typically the
knees bend slightly more than the first kick. The undulation
created by the constant lifting and dropping of the hips is what we
call body roll. It is truly started by the nodding of the chin,
then the body follows the head and the roll is continued on through
the ankles and feet.
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Swimmers who
are just learning this stroke typically try to start one phase
before the previous one is fully complete. For example, the arms
are supposed to follow through underwater until they are straight
and extend out completely in front of the body. However, there are
plenty of swimmers who cut their stroke short and don’t allow
for complete extension of the arms. This causes the swimmers to put
more effort into the stroke than is needed, burning up valuable
energy they could be using for speed.
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