I have been trying to incorporate the butterfly kick off the start and turns with my backstroke. I get 2 -4 kicks in before I come to the surface. My question is: how much faster is the butterfly kick than the flutter kick? Or do you have to have a strong fly kick to gain any benefit? ** years ago we were very content with a quick flutter to the surface (and I'm not anywhere near as fast now!)
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Former Member
Phil,
The real genesis for underwater dolphin kick in freestyle is the Russian sprinters in 1992 and 1996. They beat our sprinters by doing 2-3 dolphins while our freestylers did flutter kick. From that moment on I have taught the dolphin kick off each turn in all strokes except ***. One high school girl I coached did five dolphins on her side for every turn in the 500 free; I figure she only swam 300 yards. With the proper depth on the turns such as Coughlin does, with perfect streamlining anyone can cut time off their races. You just need a coach to help and practice perfect every turn.
Many great swimmers have come back from injuries to shoulders and do great like Coughlin. Same for knee injuries. Sometimes the training of just half the body brings the swimmers previous weakness into strengths. Just takes will power.
Most Masters swimmers spend an hour swimming four to five times a week. Yet how much time do they spend on the little things like perfect streamlining, the perfect small dolphin kick, the perfect flip turn? Perhaps once a month?
Every master’s swimmer can use their masters’ prerogative and practice those things every workout, every turn.
Wayne McCauley
Phil,
The real genesis for underwater dolphin kick in freestyle is the Russian sprinters in 1992 and 1996. They beat our sprinters by doing 2-3 dolphins while our freestylers did flutter kick. From that moment on I have taught the dolphin kick off each turn in all strokes except ***. One high school girl I coached did five dolphins on her side for every turn in the 500 free; I figure she only swam 300 yards. With the proper depth on the turns such as Coughlin does, with perfect streamlining anyone can cut time off their races. You just need a coach to help and practice perfect every turn.
Many great swimmers have come back from injuries to shoulders and do great like Coughlin. Same for knee injuries. Sometimes the training of just half the body brings the swimmers previous weakness into strengths. Just takes will power.
Most Masters swimmers spend an hour swimming four to five times a week. Yet how much time do they spend on the little things like perfect streamlining, the perfect small dolphin kick, the perfect flip turn? Perhaps once a month?
Every master’s swimmer can use their masters’ prerogative and practice those things every workout, every turn.
Wayne McCauley
