Competitive swimmers out there - can u frog kick?

[dmaziuk]

Near as I can determine, the breast stroke frog kick and the diving “frog kick” are opposites. The breast stroke frog kick uses the back of the foot to push against the water, whereas the diving “frog kick” actually uses the top of the foot/fins for the push. That is the equivalent to what 50 so years ago we called the “whip kick.”

I disagree: in breaststroke kick the foot works as a propeller blade, there's little "push" component to the foot. Most "pushing" is the inside of the legs squeezing water out and back as the legs come together.

You can do modified frog pushing with the top of the fin, but you can also do it using foot rotation like in breaststroke and push with the "sole" side of the fins.

 

[Nemrod]

I was a competitive swimmer, still triathlon, did a lot of open water racing. And I suck at frog kicks. And I think it way over rated. I use instead some sort of hybrid, kick that suits me. It is a side scissor and frog that ends with me nearly clapping my fins together or I sometimes use a sculling motion which can push me forward or backwards. Yes, I can do a frog kick and I am not as enthralled with it as so many seem to be. It seems I get from here to there okay without stirring up anything or roto-tilling the reef or using my air supply at excessive rate.

 

[eelpout]

Our Frog kick (SCUBA) is nothing like the Breast Stroke kick . It think this statements explains it "Whip kick is often compared to the way a frog jumps except that your knees are kept closer together. It is the kick used to generate forward motion in the breast stroke, a popular stroke with all levels of swimmers."

 

[MrChen]

I was a competitive swimmer when I was younger, so was my cousin. He certified 10 years after me and I had to keep reminding him to stop trying to swim. He still calls his mask goggles, drives me crazy lol. It's 2 completely different things and you have to learn to disassociate one from the other. I've been diving so much over the years and haven't been swimming at all that I can't remember what swimming felt like. I'm sure if I had to swim, I'd be fine, I just haven't exercised the skill in quite some time.

Frog kicking is about fine control and requires good buoyancy. If you don't have good buoyancy, then work on that first.

 

[sjkoen]

thanks for all the replies and helpful feedback. i feel validated the message is "don't stir up the bottom!" which i'm already mindful of. i'll continue to work on my own kick (i think i already do the sculling) that gets me where i need to go and doesn't stir up bottom or hit coral (not kicking coral has been with me from start, not stirring up bottom will be important in a new way in upcoming muck dives - yeah!) thanks

 

[sjkoen]

I was a competitive swimmer when I was younger, so was my cousin. He certified 10 years after me and I had to keep reminding him to stop trying to swim. He still calls his mask goggles, drives me crazy lol. It's 2 completely different things and you have to learn to disassociate one from the other. I've been diving so much over the years and haven't been swimming at all that I can't remember what swimming felt like. I'm sure if I had to swim, I'd be fine, I just haven't exercised the skill in quite some time.

Frog kicking is about fine control and requires good buoyancy. If you don't have good buoyancy, then work on that first.

you mean they aren't googles??
i'm the reverse, i still pool and open water swim a lot and only just got back into diving. i never saw swimming as much of an advantage, except surface swims, but also not a disadvantage until trying the specified frog kick
appreciate the reminder on buoyancy. something i have focused on in this second life of diving and i am practicing and improving.