As a sprint butterflyer, until recently I never questioned the sort of underwater dolphin kicks I should do: as fast as physically possible, then pop up and go at it hammer and tongs.
At my LC Zone Championships I tried something different. I was still dealing with the effects of a virus that severely inhibited my taper period. All my times were quite slow, so with nothing to lose I decided to try an experiment. In my 50 meter butterfly, instead of my usual frantic underwater dolphin, I made the kicks slower and more deliberate, stayed underwater longer, and then kept my stroke fast but under control.
The result was a time that, while slow, was significantly better than my other times this meet. It was about 2% off my normal times, but my other races were 4-6% slower. It is clear, as a knowledgable butterflyer suggested, that I was probably "slipping" and failing to grab water with my superfast kicks and stroke. By slowing my kicks and my stroke slightly, I "grabbed" more water and moved faster.
I wonder if anyone else can offer an opinion on dolphin kicks and sprinting? It is clear that everyone must find what is best for them - it may be that a slightly slower, more deliberate underwater dolphin coupled with a controlled stoke is best for me. This may not be the best for you. Any thoughts?
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Former Member
An interesting article from NPR on the science behind dolphin kicking, apparently Phelps dolphin is better than others because of his size 14 feet combined with an ability to hyperextend his ankles. The article says that computer modeling shows that 90% of the power in the dolphin kick comes from the feet.
www.npr.org/.../story.php
I once read an article about Australian research that looked specifically at smaller faster versus bigger slower using computer models and came to a conclusion, but I can't seem to find it at the moment...
Oh, there it is:
The results of the CFD study demonstrated that, for this swimmer, the larger kick was more efficient across the velocity range at which the swimmer would ideally be performing an underwater kick.
cis.squirming.net/.../
An interesting article from NPR on the science behind dolphin kicking, apparently Phelps dolphin is better than others because of his size 14 feet combined with an ability to hyperextend his ankles. The article says that computer modeling shows that 90% of the power in the dolphin kick comes from the feet.
www.npr.org/.../story.php
I once read an article about Australian research that looked specifically at smaller faster versus bigger slower using computer models and came to a conclusion, but I can't seem to find it at the moment...
Oh, there it is:
The results of the CFD study demonstrated that, for this swimmer, the larger kick was more efficient across the velocity range at which the swimmer would ideally be performing an underwater kick.
cis.squirming.net/.../
