Dolphin Kicking Test Set

Here's a Dolphin Kicking Test Set I created. It allows swimmers to test their dolphin kicking ability, to train SDK then retest and compare results. If you try it, please post your times. do it like this youtube.com/watch or like this www.youtube.com/watch or this www.youtube.com/watch can you kick 10 meters off the 3rd turn in a 200 free www.youtube.com/watch The Dolphin Kicking Pentathlon Set A High Quality Kick Set: Tell the swimmers dolphin Kick the following distances VERY FAST for Time on a watch or with a timing system Distances are 015, 025, 050, 100, & 200 (yards or meters) Go in heats of 4 to 6 swimmers one swimmer per lane, make sure each swimmer has a timer before starting them Do an easy swim down after each effort, Allowing plenty of rest between efforts, 015 followed by approx 2 - 3 minutes rest 025 followed by approx 3 - 4 minutes rest 050 followed by approx 4 - 5 minutes rest 100 followed by approx 5 - 6 minutes rest 200 Get 25 splits on the 50 and 50 splits on the 100 and 200 Encourage athletes to split their 50, 100, & 200 well What to do with the data: Collect times Post swimmer times and rankings for each distance Declare and celebrate winners for each length and the over all winner Convert times into seconds ie 2:30 = 150 seconds Calculate 25 speed on each effort: Divide the time (in seconds) by a factor to determine the 25 pace for each distance 015 / 0.60 025 / 1 050 / 2 100 / 4 200 / 8 Add up all the times and post that list. During the season, train to improve SDK, especially 15 meter SDK and SDK off of turns in races Revisit the set now and then to track improvement over the season. Do a few using the timing system Do a one where swimmers wear fast skins Set Rules NO boards, fins, or paddles NO 15 meter rule the 15 meter Rule does not apply, the swimmer may kick underwater as far as she wants, but no one is allowed to pass out and breathing is a sensible thing to do in the 100 and 200 Arm Position: Swimmers may be 1) streamlined, both arms above their heads or 2) have both arms at their side or 3) one arm forward and the other by her side Arm Use the only permitted arm use is as follows: the swimmer may take one arm stroke with one arm before each turn the swimmer may move one or both arms to her side once per length when transitioning from SDK to arms by their side to allow breathing. Swimmers kicking on their belly may scull to take a breath but no more than quarter breastroke stroke Body Position: A swimmer can kick on her back, either side or belly A swimmer may change positions at any time in the race Start: From blocks, just like freestyle, or from a push Turns: Swimmers may take one arm stroke going in to a turn They can do a flip turn similar to backstroke turn rules or an open turn (Flipping is faster for most swimmers) Touch: can touch with any part of the body
  • that should be the fastest to slowest stroke order but some swimmers change up SDK, Butterfly, & Backstroke SDK's and Free in Freestyle Fast SDKers take way more than 3 SDKs off the start and turns Phelps & Crocker take around 10 Walker & Weber Gale take 5 or 6 I have a training book that states the list of swimming, from fastest to slowest is: Freestyle, Underwater dolphin kicks, Butterfly, Backstroke and ***. With this in mind, the book makes the following recommendations regarding SDKs: Freestyle Sprints & Middle Distance: Limit the amount of SDKs to no more than 3 otherwise you lose time to those who have started swimming Free (the faster stroke) Distance: Limit or eliminate SDKs to conserve energy. Back and Butterfly - SDKs are crucial and actually help to conserve energy and are often the difference in a great split and extra energy in the last 50-100 - Plus SDKs (theoretically) are faster than swimming the stroke.
  • I'm not very good at it. I also have a tendency to cork up to the surface after about 12.5 yards? Anyone else have this problem or have any suggestions on how to fix it? And, no, I'm not fat!
  • jeff, you can do this set breastroke kick, I don't think there's a way to fix your feet and ankles. to SDK fast, swimmers need to have + flexible ankles and feet, it helps if a swimmer can point her toes to 180 degrees or beyond (compared to the shin) like this ___ ___ not like this ___ / + a great streamline, + perfect body position + excellent SDK technique and conditioning For the four or five of us in the world who cannot flex their ankles beyond 45 degrees, dolphin kicking is extremely overrated. Plus, we know we will have more oxygen than you on the final 25 of each race because we didn't swim half the race (in short course) underwater! OK, that's my bashing on SDK. It sounds like a fun test set, and I hope everyone tries it.
  • Beth, I think it really may just be getting used to it. I started by just doing one dolphin kick out of my free turn and then switching back to freestyle kick. It felt a little awkward at first, but as I got used to it, I bumped it up to two dolphins and starting noticing an improvement in my distance times especially (is that weird?). I now do three off each wall, and it feels way faster. And what's kind of strange is that I am not particularly fast at fly. Breaststroke is my best stroke, followed distance free. I do have very flexible ankles though ... Chlorini
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    I have a training book that states the list of swimming, from fastest to slowest is: Freestyle, Underwater dolphin kicks, Butterfly, Backstroke and ***. With this in mind, the book makes the following recommendations regarding SDKs: Freestyle Sprints & Middle Distance: Limit the amount of SDKs to no more than 3 otherwise you lose time to those who have started swimming Free (the faster stroke) Distance: Limit or eliminate SDKs to conserve energy. Back and Butterfly - SDKs are crucial and actually help to converse energy and are often the difference in a great split and extra energy in the last 50-100 - Plus SDKs (theoretically) are faster then swimming the stroke.
  • Former Member
    Former Member
    This set is a really tall order. I've timed my 25 and 50, and I'm sure I could pull off a 100 although it would hurt and seem slow. A 200? That's going to be an ordeal. I'm sure I would suvive; I've run marathons on insufficient training and know that stubborness can be a success strategy. But we'd have to get past the issues of speed and just feel proud of getting through it.
  • Jeff,there is a name to discribe people with ankles like yours,breaststroker. My personal order of swim speed is1)free,2)fly(to 75M)3)***(faster than fly past 75M)4)breaststroke kick5)SDK and 8)backstroke(my backstroke is so slow it doesn't deserve to be as high as 6) or 7). There's another name for them as well; gymnasts :joker: