Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

Former Member — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:58:50 GMT

I was always a lousy kicker, one of the worst in any group I ever swam with. But my senior year in college ('67) I won a lot of beer money with the following challenge, "I'll race you across the pool (20 yards), I'll swim underwater and you can swim freestyle. Never lost! Our pool edge was about 16 " above the water level, high enough for a good racing start, followed by a double arm pull (like in a breastroke start), then with the arms at my side I wiggle rapidly, (full-body leading with the head), like some drug-crazed fish and set up for a one handed touch at the other side. I was still a rotten kicker with a board or with my hands extended out in front, but I was a demon in the 20 yard dash!

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

Allen Stark — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:34:38 GMT

A guy on my high school in the mid 60s was a All American in Backstroke and had an amazing dolphin,but a mediocre fly.In the 160 IM(20 yd pool) he'd go the first length and half of the second underwater(breathing at the turn of course.)

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

Former Member — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:46:34 GMT

Change the 15 meter rule to 10 meters. Or make it illegal to fly kick on free and back.

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

knelson — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:45:28 GMT

Change the 15 meter rule to 10 meters. Or make it illegal to fly kick on free and back. Why? Not a bad article, but any article that mentions the greatest dolphin kickers and doesn't mention Ian Crocker is inherently flawed.

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

Former Member — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:39:57 GMT

Why is it that dolphin kick is easy to do on the back, not a lot more difficult on the side (with the body perpendicular to the pool bottom), but hard to do face down?

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

ande — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:39:20 GMT

thanks jon, chris also mentioned it in the Help My SDK is Horrible Thread and I archived it at this link in case the post ever drops it from their site SDK is a critical skill Ande From the June 20 2008 Washington Post: www.washingtonpost.com/.../AR2008061903765.html

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

Paul Smith — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:57:30 GMT

Jesse Vassallo Yes Geek...another "product" of the 70's....and as John has said the "first".

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

ande — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:11:04 GMT

that's just how it is for you some swimmers prefer to SDK on their sides or their belly I prefer SDK on my back and need to work on SDKing on my left arm down side and BELLY Why is it that dolphin kick is easy to do on the back, not a lot more difficult on the side (with the body perpendicular to the pool bottom), but hard to do face down?

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

ande — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:09:24 GMT

there were swimmers using a longer SDK way before berkoff I remember a texas tech swimmer who used it in backstroke back in the early 80's, I sure wish I had practiced and mastered SDK in my teens and early 20's, at the time I thought SDK felt funny and dolphin kicking with my arms by my side felt more natural berkoff was the one who broke national records with his SDK THAT GOT EVERYONE's attention Swimmers realized, If I want to break records, I need to get great at that and use it in meets surprisingly it took several years after berkoff for SDK to really catch on in fly and free then pankratov broke world records and won olympic gold using a longer SDK then fina shortened how far swimmers could kick coaches and swimmers need to study, measure, and perfect SDK Swimmers should only use SDK if it's faster for them I'm still trying to figure out how many SDKs I should take in free and fly UT's Hill Taylor SDKed a 50 backstroke in 23.9 from a backstroke start SDK should be the 5th stroke Good article,but it may give the impression that swimmers do dolphin during freestyle,instead of only underwater.I also think the article didn't give enough credit to Natalie Coughlin.While Berkoff started it with back and Hymen in fly,Coughlin was the one who seemed to me to demonstrate it was devastatingly fast in all strokes(except BR.)She still has the best one in my opinion(although Crocker is also amazing.)

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

Former Member — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:36:10 GMT

Why? Not a bad article, but any article that mentions the greatest dolphin kickers and doesn't mention Ian Crocker is inherently flawed. For some reason - Eddie Reese didn't mention Ian in the article-closing quote.

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

knelson — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:40:56 GMT

Coughlin was the one who seemed to me to demonstrate it was devastatingly fast in all strokes(except BR.) Yeah, Kitajima was the one who demonstrated it in ***!

RE: Washington Post article on the Dolphin Kick

Allen Stark — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:32:49 GMT

Good article,but it may give the impression that swimmers do dolphin during freestyle,instead of only underwater.I also think the article didn't give enough credit to Natalie Coughlin.While Berkoff started it with back and Hymen in fly,Coughlin was the one who seemed to me to demonstrate it was devastatingly fast in all strokes(except BR.)She still has the best one in my opinion(although Crocker is also amazing.)