Head-up dolphin kick drill

Former Member
Former Member
Hi, I have seen people doing Head-up dolphin kick drill. With arms on the side or arms extended. What is your opinion on this drill? Thanks in advance.
  • With any drill or other activity that you don't understand well, these are the questions you ought to pose. I have an opinion on this drill, but first I'd like to know what impressions you've formed. It's just a drill question, not an investment decision.
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Wednesday, I so dolphined 8x25 yards and found my ARMS to feel somewhat stronger subsequently. Today, I did the same thing twice wearing zoomers and felt even stronger after.
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Have you tried it? If so what was your experience of it? Did it feel useful or helpful in any way? Or did it just feel difficult to do? Does it resemble in any way whole-stroke swimming as you'd like to do it? With any drill or other activity that you don't understand well, these are the questions you ought to pose. I have an opinion on this drill, but first I'd like to know what impressions you've formed. Hi Coach, Thank you for offering your comments. I didn't try it yet, but I assume that I can do it using Zoomers. Probably by reps of 25m. The version I am used to is head lead undulation and hands lead undulation, neutral head position with streamlined body. With and without blue Zoomers. I like this better because it is closer to swim position and it also works my legs and abs. And to tell you the complete truth, I first read these drills from your "Swimming Made Easy" book. Intuitively, I am not attracted by the head up undulation. Because I don't swim with the head up. I guess that this could be a drill to isolate legs work. If I want to work my legs, I would prefer dryland or running. But this is just a personal choice. However, as the head up undulation I saw was practiced by a the Age Group where my daughter swims (they used regular fins for that drill, I forgot to mention). There should be a purpose, and I would like to know more. I could have asked the coach, but I don't want him to mis-interpret, thinking that I could interfer with his business.
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Geek is on the forum to remind us how fortunate we all are.
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    I have seen people doing Head-up dolphin kick drill. With arms on the side or arms extended. What is your opinion on this drill? Though I love this drill, I think it should be used with caution. And it should be used over small distances too of course. I wouldn't see the point of practicing it over distances >25m (at the time). To me the benefit of this drill is to force you to find a breathing position that is very low, with the chin up forward in the front. All this development takes place while trying to stay as much hydrodynamic as you can (mid and lower body at the surface). - This drill isn't aimed at teaching you how to ondulate of course. - It ain't aimed at improving the kick (except maybe for the second kick of the cycle). It's aimed at increasing the distance you can travel while breathing by improving (or forcing you to improve) your natural balance while breathing. Let me phrase it differently. It's aimed at making sure you don't use the pull phase to breathe. Pulling action should be used to travel forward, not upward. All of the pulling action (in my opinion). I know it may sound like nothing stated like this, but that's one of the most commun mistake in butterfly. People use a fraction of the pulling action to go upward to breathe. Finally, I never really prescribe this drill with arms extended. Because that kind of goes against the nature of butterfly. You normally don't breathe while having the arm extended after all. - - - - - Coaches sometimes have swimmers do things because they're physically difficult, reasoning that the hard work required to complete the activity will make you stronger. But as you've wondered "stronger for what?" Do you need to develop the kind of strength required to hold your head up in Fly if you won't be swimming that way? I don't think this drill has anything to do with developing strength. If there are two qualities on which I insist during the execution of this drill, that would be relaxation and finesse. Not strength. Stay relaxed all the time, the kick should be as light as possible. No splash, just finess. Let your natural balance keep you at the surface (as opposed as hard efforts). And learn to move in a way that doesn't interfeer with this relaxed balance you want to find/develop. I read later that you mention about spinal health. It's a comment with which I do agree. This drill isn't for everybody. And I respect 100% a coach that refuse to prescribe it for this reason.
  • If so, why are you on the discussion forum? To bug Cruise and learn all I can about TI.
  • I do lots of fly drills, but I haven't done this one. I will definitely try it (with arms by my side to avoid stress on the shoulder; no back problems). I agree, nice and relaxed with forward momentum while you breathe.
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    My son inlaw was out fishing just off Vancouver Island the other day he took a picture of well over 100 Dolphins swimming, They all had their heads out of the water while they did the Dolphin Kick It was amazing.
  • Wrong forum then. Yoiu'll learn far more about TI at: webboard.totalimmersion.net:8080/.../login Do you have to pay to use that forum? Seems we get ample TI here as well.
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    I have never tried this drill but I wonder if it is intended to help the swimmer learn to be able to breath during fly without losing good body position? Our coach sometimes has us do head up front crawl, I assume as an open water aid, I don't do it because I haven't figured out a way to do so that doesn't hurt my shoulders. Everyone else seems to do ok so I presume I am missing something... I think my problem is that with my head up I can't get enough of a roll to keep my recovery in front of the plane of my body? Maybe I'm just not in good enough shape to keep myself high enough in the water... Or maybe it is just intended to enforce how hard it is to swim with the head up, i.e. suggest how much easier it is to swim with your head down!
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