Stupid Question:
Why is it more difficult to do dolphin kick on your stomach underwater than on your back underwater?
It seems that I can kick easier, faster and longer on my back than I can on my stomach.
Is this a matter of biomechanics or am I just a loser who can't do fly kick very well on his stomach underwater?
John Smith
Parents
Former Member
Here is my two cents. BTW, sorry for my awkward English
Let's assume you kick both ways with your body perfectly streamlined, the down beat will provide a force from water which makes your body move slightly vertically.
Since the down beat in the face up situation is toward the surface, it causes you to move to the bottom; while in the face down situation, it causes you to move to the surface.
However don't forget your natural buoy. For most people the natural buoy tends to move them to the surface.
So in the face up situation, this buocy force offset the force coming from your down beat, which makes it easier for you to keep moving hrozontally and streamlined at the same time.
While in the face down situation, this buocy force makes things worse. To keep moving horizontally, you actually have to sacrfice some streamline.
Here is my two cents. BTW, sorry for my awkward English
Let's assume you kick both ways with your body perfectly streamlined, the down beat will provide a force from water which makes your body move slightly vertically.
Since the down beat in the face up situation is toward the surface, it causes you to move to the bottom; while in the face down situation, it causes you to move to the surface.
However don't forget your natural buoy. For most people the natural buoy tends to move them to the surface.
So in the face up situation, this buocy force offset the force coming from your down beat, which makes it easier for you to keep moving hrozontally and streamlined at the same time.
While in the face down situation, this buocy force makes things worse. To keep moving horizontally, you actually have to sacrfice some streamline.
