1. Where it All Began
The dolphin kick is an underwater swimming technique that is similar to the butterfly kick. It was originally developed by swimmers David Berkoff, Daichi Suzuki and Jesse Vassalo in the 1980s. These three worked together to try to create a underwater kick that would give a swimmer an advantage at two specific points in a competition when the swimmer is underwater - the dive in and turns. The kick has gotten the most attention from its use by Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps.
2. A Difference in Kicks
Both butterfly and dolphin kicks are underwater kicks and both are done by holding your feet together and using your legs in tandem. The main difference is the motion of the legs. For the butterfly kick, you're required to bend your knees and propel yourself forward by pushing the water downward and behind you. The dolphin kick uses a similar motion to the one that dolphins actually use with their tails to move through the water. The dolphin kick is a undulating motion that uses the entire length of the leg from hips to feet to move through the water. It creates a motion has very little water resistance. This makes the kick extremely effective.
3. One Smooth Motion
Begin by pushing off of the wall underwater in a streamline position. Push your feet upwards into an up kick but push your feet higher than you would normally with a butterfly kick. You should feel your lower back tighten in order to push you legs upwards. Start with your waist and hips and roll your body downwards all the way to your feet. Using the same rolling motion, roll your body from hips to feet upwards into the up kick. Repeat the rolling motion from up kick to down kick.
4. It Isn't Easy
The dolphin kick uses a skill set that is completely different from any other kick that is used in competitive swimming. This is a kick that is supposed to be smooth and speedy but can leave swimmers learning it floundering. There are a few things you can do to help learn this kick. The first is to concentrate on your lower back. Start the kick from there and move it downward toward your feet. The second is to pay attention to your knees. You're knees shouldn't bend with this kick. This is a difficult habit to break if you've already mastered the butterfly kick.
5. Practice Pays Off
The whole point of this kick is to use the smallest amount of movement and get in return a lot of forward motion. You want to try to use as few kicks as possible while still moving powerfully through the water. Concentrate on what you need to do to get the most forward motion. Time yourself and keep track of the number of kicks you use with each lap. Practice trying to maintain or better your time while using fewer and fewer kicks.
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