Head-up dolphin kick drill

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.

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.