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.
Bob, where the formerly illegal dolphin kick took place was just at the end of the pullout, when the hands pressed down at the hips. It's the most powerful part of the pullout, and the part where the body tends to change from a slightly downward angle to a more neutral one.
I've been working on it since August, and that's where it seems to work best.
you might need to know that FINA, USA-S and USMS Rules aren't always identical...
If you're interested in the latest USMS Rule changes that were passed just few days ago at the convention, you can find them here:
www.usms.org/.../rules-2005-9-18-4.pdf
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.
The way I read the FINA rule there are sevaral ways to insert the dolphin kick
1- immediately after pushing off, before any downwards arm pull
2- At the start of the arm pull, like Kitajima and others
3- at the middle of the arm pull, we used to call this a pike:p
4- As the arms reach the hips
5- slightly after the end of the pulldown
6- After the arms have recovered forwards again, but before the breaststroke kick to the surface.
Originally posted by breastroker
USA swimming has determined the ruling to fit Jeff's style, that being at the end of the pulldown.
Wayne:
Based on my reading of the USMS rule, it doesn't specify when during the pulldown you may use the dolphin kick but just that after using it one then must follow with a "legal" breaststroke kick.
Am I reading this wrong or does the swimmer have the right to select when to introduce the downward dolpin?
"101.2.3- Kick - After the start and after each turn, a single downward butterfly (dolphin) kick followed by a breaststroke kick is permitted while wholly submerged."
Couldn't you take the kick in the middle of the pool or even at the finish? I don't see how this wording says it has to be during the underwater phase of a turn. The middle of the pool is after the turn and the finish is after the turn.
Fritz,
What you describe would work,..........................if you can push off and go 20 yards underwater.
INTERPRETATION: The official interpretation for the changes to the breaststroke (101.2) is that during, or at the end of the arm pull-down of the first stroke after the start and after each turn, a single downward butterfly kick is allowed, but not required, followed by a breaststroke kick. During the pull-down, if a downward butterfly kick is taken, it must be followed by a breaststroke kick. It is not permissible to take only a downward butterfly kick without then taking a normal breaststroke kick. The downward butterfly kick is not permissible prior to the arm pull-down.
Originally posted by Fritz
"101.2.3- Kick - After the start and after each turn, a single downward butterfly (dolphin) kick followed by a breaststroke kick is permitted while wholly submerged."
Couldn't you take the kick in the middle of the pool or even at the finish? I don't see how this wording says it has to be during the underwater phase of a turn. The middle of the pool is after the turn and the finish is after the turn.
Heh, Don't think that was the intent...
If they get too many arguments like yours they may have to do a housekeeping rule change to read "Immediately following the start"
Read the rest of the rule too, talking about where feet should point during the propulsive phase of the kick, and how your feet can't break the surface during the dolphin...
that makes it kind of hard to do mid way through the race... and I don't think it would be advantageous.
I don't think it was the intent either. Just reading what it says. The interpretation makes it clear.
I think the position of the feel has nothing to do with the dolphin kick. People will have their feet turned in during the dolphin kick. However, maybe we need an iterpretation for that as well.
We'll have to disagree about whether it's advantageous. I can see where a nice big dolphin kick at the finish might help and I think a skilled swimmer could figure out how to keep it under water.
At any rate, it's clear it has to be during the pullout.
