I was told long ago that practicing dolphin kicks with short fins would help me train for learning the proper technique. I got back into swimming at 54 after a 36 year layoff and have now been at it for six years. Back in my youth days, swimmers did not do dolphin kicks. I feel like I do it great WITH the fins, but when I take them off, I got nothing!
I still don't think I can do a proper dolphin kick and think I do better (in freestyle) by just surfacing and starting my stroke as soon as possible. I can't seem to get the body undulation thing down.
Should I keep trying and if so, any tips? Am I alone in failing to properly be able to do this? Any drills to help master this?
I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion, but you may just want to focus on a good streamline and getting to to the surface and swimming fast. In order order to have a good UDK, you have to have an excellent streamline, strong abs and flexible ankles. Then you can start to focus on the dolphin technique. If you weren't taught this technique at a young age, it is fairly difficult to pick up (as you have discovered, if you have been trying for six years).
I often remind people that swimming is a race to the other end, not a contest to see who can do more underwater dolphins. If it doesn't get your there faster, why would you practice it?
I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion, but you may just want to focus on a good streamline and getting to to the surface and swimming fast. In order order to have a good UDK, you have to have an excellent streamline, strong abs and flexible ankles. Then you can start to focus on the dolphin technique. If you weren't taught this technique at a young age, it is fairly difficult to pick up (as you have discovered, if you have been trying for six years).
I often remind people that swimming is a race to the other end, not a contest to see who can do more underwater dolphins. If it doesn't get your there faster, why would you practice it?
