PURPOSE:To assess the effect of adding a dolphin kick to a breaststroke pullout.
METHODS:Eleven (20.9±2.3 yrs, 1.86±0.05 m, 79.6±5.5 kg) swimmers experienced with performing traditional and dolphin kick breaststroke pullouts participated in the study. Underwater video analysis was used to track whole body center of mass kinematics during a pullout. Time for the center of mass to travel distances ranging from 2.5-4 m from the initiation of the pullout were computed. Hand force data were derived from differential pressure measurements during the pulling phase of the pullout.
RESULTS:Use of a dolphin kick in a breaststroke pullout significantly (p=0.016) improved performance. Time for the center of mass to travel 4m after the initiation of the pull was reduced by 0.19 s. This performance improvement was not attributable to enhanced force production from the pull. Hand force was not significantly different between pullout techniques for the right hand (p=0.142) nor left hand (p=0.303). Total impulse produced by the pull was reduced by 3.6% (p=0.039, ES=0.34) when using the dolphin kick pullout.
CONCLUSIONS:These data suggest that the use of a dolphin kick during a breaststroke pullout provides a significant advantage over the traditional no-dolphin kick pullout. Furthermore, this advantage comes from enhanced propulsion from the kick but not the pull.
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Correct, never have and never will. I consider it cheating. But I don't do meets anyway. If I do a 200 br 1.5 sec faster in practice (our practice clock doesn't even measure lower than a second), and it is because of doing something I don't believe in, what did I gain?
Occasionally when I'm doing ***, the coach will ask me about this, and I just ignore him. Eventually he works with me elsewhere in my stroke. He recently helped me with a change to my arm sweep during pushoff which had a pretty immediate impact.
I must comment that I don't understand your position. A legal turn is part of the stroke. So do you consciously make no attempt to improve your turns? Do you only try to improve the swimming portion? The single dolphin kick has been legal for over two years.
No one has to do the dolphin kick - or even an underwater pull and kick. But why not try it since it is in the rules and the evidence shows it is faster?
Correct, never have and never will. I consider it cheating. But I don't do meets anyway. If I do a 200 br 1.5 sec faster in practice (our practice clock doesn't even measure lower than a second), and it is because of doing something I don't believe in, what did I gain?
Occasionally when I'm doing ***, the coach will ask me about this, and I just ignore him. Eventually he works with me elsewhere in my stroke. He recently helped me with a change to my arm sweep during pushoff which had a pretty immediate impact.
I must comment that I don't understand your position. A legal turn is part of the stroke. So do you consciously make no attempt to improve your turns? Do you only try to improve the swimming portion? The single dolphin kick has been legal for over two years.
No one has to do the dolphin kick - or even an underwater pull and kick. But why not try it since it is in the rules and the evidence shows it is faster?
