Dolphin kick off wall every time, every stroke?

You can use both a frog and dolphin kick in the breaststroke pullout. Only one dolphin kick, though. You can also put your head underwater in breaststroke these days. Thanks. I was surprised the first time I saw heads go under in Olympic swimming, but I was aware of that change, as well as the rollover turn for back, when I got back in the pool. Right now I'm trying to learn the "wave" breaststroke technique from Jim Montgomery and Mo Chambers in their "Mastering Swimming" book. I have a lot to learn, so I'm giving myself ample time before I try to compete again. Currently I'm focusing primarily on reconditioning for swimming, but in spring I'll start focusing more on honing the strokes, so I'm trying to get established in the basics at the moment.

Here is a link (with related links inside) on the timing of the dolphin kick in relation to pulldown and first arm stroke of the BR swimming stroke: forums.usms.org/showthread.php The timing of the dolphin may also be addressed in the rules for this stroke. Happy reading! Links are 404 now. :-( With all the back and forth on those threads, I'm more confused now than anything. So I may better achieve clarity, when is the dolphin kick allowed in the breaststroke glide and when is it illegal? As for the other strokes, I reckon you can do as you please as long as you don't take it past 15m?

Breaststroke has totally changed in recent years.In 1986 the rules were changed so that instead of your head having to break the surface all the time it only had to break the surface once/stroke.You also then could recover your hands over the surface.The hand recovery rule was then clarified that your elbows must be in the water at all times.The hand recovery rule hasn't made much difference,but the head rule has totally changed the stroke.Go to http://breaststroke.info/ for more information.At the 2004 Olympics Kitajima won the 100M BR while famously doing a dolphin kick during the pulldown.The refs didn't call it and said that it was hard to tell a dolphin kick from the natural undulation that could accompany a hard pulldown.The rule was changed to allow this,but then Kitajima started doing the Dolphin kick before the pulldown.Rather than say "enough is enough" FINA wimped out again and clarified that the pulldown begins as soon as the hands are separated. So basically, the legal glide is now streamline glide, pull with single dolphin kick, frog kick during recovery, then surface?

At the 2004 Olympics Kitajima won the 100M BR while famously doing a dolphin kick during the pulldown.The refs didn't call it and said that it was hard to tell a dolphin kick from the natural undulation that could accompany a hard pulldown.The rule was changed to allow this,but then Kitajima started doing the Dolphin kick before the pulldown.Rather than say "enough is enough" FINA wimped out again and clarified that the pulldown begins as soon as the hands are separated. Allen, I noticed something else subtle Kitajima was doing in the Olympics more so than other swimmers. His dive entry included a hard dolphin kick just as he entered, then yet another on the pulldown.

I've been adding DK off the wall, and I see what y'all mean about burning oxygen.

Allen, I noticed something else subtle Kitajima was doing in the Olympics more so than other swimmers. His dive entry included a hard dolphin kick just as he entered, then yet another on the pulldown. Yep.He is a great swimmer with fabulous technique,I just wish he wasn't such a CHEATER!!

I've been adding DK off the wall, and I see what y'all mean about burning oxygen. Dolphins off the walls are by definition anaerobic -- there just isn't any air down there! For something like a 50 back, fly or free you can kick as hard as you can to 15 meters and it won't hurt until you've got your towel wrapped around you, but I've found that about the third turn in the 100 is when it catches up with me. And by the end of a 200 anything my kick is pretty feeble. But doing them in practice off every turn is the way to become good at it. I don't think there is any other way.