I finally learned to Dolphin

It all starts in your upper body. I find that underwater drills tend to help your style, try swimming the lengh of the pool underwater with a dolphin kick with your hands at your sides.

I started doing flip turns this week and trying to dolphin kick. I am glad there are not many people in the pool when I go to workout. But then again, I can give someone a much needed laugh if they watch me long enough. The first day I tried flip turns I don't know how many times I came up sputtering and spitting and coughing. The dolphin kick is something I am going to work on after I get this flippin' thing down.

Edited by BucNIowa 2008-03-06 2:46 PM

When I was struggling with my dolphin kick I found what helped to get a proper ungulation going was to concentrate on sticking my butt out further than usual. Doing that is what finally got my dolphin kick down and I was able to use it for flip turns.

Yes.. its very much like "humping the water" I am finding.

Haha yes, indeed.
A drill I used to practice my dolphin was to do a light front skull and combine it with the dolphin kick. If that helps at all.

haha, yeah, its definately humping. You really have to put your abs into it. I like doing dolphin kick on my back for part of warm up, it always makes my abs sore, haha.

Something to try: Tennessee Turns. You work these into sets, like you could do 75s or 100s with tennessee turns. (or whatever you want) When you reach the flags before the wall, go under, dolphin kick to the wall, touch the wall underwater, dophin kick back to the flags, come up and swim regularly for the rest of the time. This helps your breathing AND your dolphin kick! They can get verrry hard though...haha. Also, if you practice dolphin kick with fins on first, its a lot easier to get the motion down.