Given the new FINA/NCAA/ USA/USMS rule changes related to the breaststroke pullouts/turns have people out there figured out WHEN to introduce the now allowed dolphin kick for maximum advantage.
My only input, and not a very detailed one at that, is from daughter who is freshman at a DIV III swimming power. She told them they are introducing the dolphin during the pulldown phase "at about the point" when people were formerly DQ'd for illegal dolphin. She claimed it was "hard to explain", this by the way from an English major, and so I'm not taking this description at 100% of face value. I presume though she meant at the finish of the pull phase when the body can go into a natural dolphin.
What is the current practice?
BTW, I did notice that the Div III A times for the breaststroke events are significantly faster this year but the B times are just about unchanged. I guess they are worried that the new kick might result in much faster times.
Parents
Former Member
What the major cheaters in the world have been doing, and why the rule was changed, is:
Kitijama and others at both Olympics and the last Worlds push off in a nice streamline. At about 2-2.3 seconds the hands are starting to be pulled back. At the same time the heels are pulled up slightly to where they just are starting to break streamline.
When the hands are accelerating past the top of the head and face, the downwards dolphin kick occurs..
USA swimming has determined the ruling to fit Jeff's style, that being at the end of the pulldown.
But I don't think that will fly, it's not about us, but allowing Kitijama and the other cheats to continue their cheating style, at the beginning of the pull down.
Someone like Kurt Grote could have used the dolphin to change from his extreme downwards motion to his extreme upwards movement. He had the most distance I have seen, often coming up a full body length ahead of other breaststrokers.
What the major cheaters in the world have been doing, and why the rule was changed, is:
Kitijama and others at both Olympics and the last Worlds push off in a nice streamline. At about 2-2.3 seconds the hands are starting to be pulled back. At the same time the heels are pulled up slightly to where they just are starting to break streamline.
When the hands are accelerating past the top of the head and face, the downwards dolphin kick occurs..
USA swimming has determined the ruling to fit Jeff's style, that being at the end of the pulldown.
But I don't think that will fly, it's not about us, but allowing Kitijama and the other cheats to continue their cheating style, at the beginning of the pull down.
Someone like Kurt Grote could have used the dolphin to change from his extreme downwards motion to his extreme upwards movement. He had the most distance I have seen, often coming up a full body length ahead of other breaststrokers.
