Duck Handed?

ChronoFish said:

Hi there,

Okay so I've known most of my life that I have been cursed with duck
feet. No - not webbed - just hanging way to the sides. When I run?
Yup duck footed there too - and yes I use LOOK pedals with the 30
degrees of float - and I have the cleats cocked as far as I can so they
will let my foot fall "naturally". Of course it's not enough to have
feet that spade out - but they're not symmetrical either. My right foot
spades out much further than my left - especially while running.

It looks funny - hilarious when when on video (the foot "flops" seem to
be exaggerated at 30fps) but I'm okay with it.

What I am disturbed about is that I video-taped my swim work out this
past Friday. Before I go further you have to understand that I've always
considered the swim my strongest leg. For a "swimmer" I suck, but for
a triathlete I'm pretty good. People complement me on my stroke
regularly, and I always feel like I'm flying (fast). The part that was
painful to watch was that my right hand - to complement my right foot -
spades way to outside. I've noticed this when I can see my shadow on
the pool bottom, but always chalked it up to the angle of the light.

Well now I have proof that it has nothing to do with the light and
everything to do with my hand. Once I saw this on video my mind became
obsessed with it. I started to "stroke" in the air with my eyes closed
and stopping with my right hand out front. I opened my eyes - damn -
just like on the video.

I can't believe in the 12+ years of doing triathlons that this is the
first time I realized that my hands do this.

Is this hand position limiting my stroke dynamics. If I fix this am I
likely to jump from a 1:20/100yrd pace to a 1:15 or better yet a 1:10
pace? Will my stroke count decrease from 15 strokes (7 per arm) per
100yrds to 12 - or even 10?

Am I really a freak of nature? Or is this something that is common and
correctable - does it even need to be corrected?

Patiently awaiting your response,

Thanks!
CF

Hard to say without a visual. I have competed and coached swimming for
many years.

I can tell you that many fast swimmers do not have symetrical strokes.
Again, without having seen your stroke it is impossible to say *where*
this occurs in your technique. However, I usually see it on the
dominant/breathe side, at the shoulder and wrist.

A swimmer may form the habit of a wider & shallower pull to their
domininant side for several reasons: a) they breathe late (arm in the
way) b) perceive more power to pull their head away from the wake (for
breathing) formed by their head c) they hold their heads low in the
water, to "float their legs", but also delaying the breath.

My point is that a stroke has as many moving parts as a golf swing. It
is very possible that *none* of what I used as examples is a valid
explanation for what you described.

I suggest that you ask your coach to record multiple points of a
workout and make commentary, while also recording other swimmers as
examples.

In the end, triathlon bears little resemblance to swimming; it isn't
supposed to. If I were you I would not rob the bike/run workouts to
pay the swim. IMO - The way the sport has developed, "swimming" is
something you do on the way to the real event.

rsquared

Do you mean 15 strokes per 25 yards?

"ChronoFish" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:0Gume.2810$rb6.888@lakeread07...

Quoted message said:

Hi there,

Okay so I've known most of my life that I have been cursed with duck
feet. No - not webbed - just hanging way to the sides. When I run?
Yup duck footed there too - and yes I use LOOK pedals with the 30
degrees of float - and I have the cleats cocked as far as I can so they
will let my foot fall "naturally". Of course it's not enough to have
feet that spade out - but they're not symmetrical either. My right foot
spades out much further than my left - especially while running.

It looks funny - hilarious when when on video (the foot "flops" seem to
be exaggerated at 30fps) but I'm okay with it.

What I am disturbed about is that I video-taped my swim work out this
past Friday. Before I go further you have to understand that I've always
considered the swim my strongest leg. For a "swimmer" I suck, but for
a triathlete I'm pretty good. People complement me on my stroke
regularly, and I always feel like I'm flying (fast). The part that was
painful to watch was that my right hand - to complement my right foot -
spades way to outside. I've noticed this when I can see my shadow on
the pool bottom, but always chalked it up to the angle of the light.

Well now I have proof that it has nothing to do with the light and
everything to do with my hand. Once I saw this on video my mind became
obsessed with it. I started to "stroke" in the air with my eyes closed
and stopping with my right hand out front. I opened my eyes - damn -
just like on the video.

I can't believe in the 12+ years of doing triathlons that this is the
first time I realized that my hands do this.

Is this hand position limiting my stroke dynamics. If I fix this am I
likely to jump from a 1:20/100yrd pace to a 1:15 or better yet a 1:10
pace? Will my stroke count decrease from 15 strokes (7 per arm) per
100yrds to 12 - or even 10?

Am I really a freak of nature? Or is this something that is common and
correctable - does it even need to be corrected?

Patiently awaiting your response,

Thanks!
CF

Haha, I don't know how to help, I don't even know if it hinders you. But
I can say that I wish I had a copy of the tape. You sure told a great
story. Terrific humour.

ChronoFish said:

Hi there,

Okay so I've known most of my life that I have been cursed with duck
feet. No - not webbed - just hanging way to the sides. When I run? Yup
duck footed there too - and yes I use LOOK pedals with the 30 degrees of
float - and I have the cleats cocked as far as I can so they will let my
foot fall "naturally". Of course it's not enough to have feet that
spade out - but they're not symmetrical either. My right foot spades
out much further than my left - especially while running.

It looks funny - hilarious when when on video (the foot "flops" seem to
be exaggerated at 30fps) but I'm okay with it.

What I am disturbed about is that I video-taped my swim work out this
past Friday. Before I go further you have to understand that I've always
considered the swim my strongest leg. For a "swimmer" I suck, but for
a triathlete I'm pretty good. People complement me on my stroke
regularly, and I always feel like I'm flying (fast). The part that was
painful to watch was that my right hand - to complement my right foot -
spades way to outside. I've noticed this when I can see my shadow on
the pool bottom, but always chalked it up to the angle of the light.

Well now I have proof that it has nothing to do with the light and
everything to do with my hand. Once I saw this on video my mind became
obsessed with it. I started to "stroke" in the air with my eyes closed
and stopping with my right hand out front. I opened my eyes - damn -
just like on the video.

I can't believe in the 12+ years of doing triathlons that this is the
first time I realized that my hands do this.

Is this hand position limiting my stroke dynamics. If I fix this am I
likely to jump from a 1:20/100yrd pace to a 1:15 or better yet a 1:10
pace? Will my stroke count decrease from 15 strokes (7 per arm) per
100yrds to 12 - or even 10?

Am I really a freak of nature? Or is this something that is common and
correctable - does it even need to be corrected?

Patiently awaiting your response,

Thanks!
CF

Yes. Don' t know what I was thinking - definately a 25yrds not 100.
15 strokes per length of pool - counting each hand entry.

So I made some corrections to my stroke - trying to keep the right hand
more inline with the rest of the arm.

The result was a one stroke per length improvement. That's like a 7%
improvement just by tilting the hand about 2"! I maintained this for
two consecutive workouts - one that was focused on speed/sprint (was
doing 14/15 strokes where I normally do 15/16), and the second focused
on recovery/form (was doing 13/14 strokes where I normally do 14/15
strokes).

I couldnt' believe it. Just goes to show what you can learn by
watching yourself. Plus if you're vain (like me) you get the added
bonus of watching yourself.