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Turns - Learning the Underwater Dolphin - Step 1

Posted by Glenn Mills on Jan 26, 2010 09:50AM (6,677 views)

There are few things in swimming that cross the lines of all strokes, but learning the underwater dolphin is certainly the most important.

- Watch some of the best body dolphin in Misty Hyman's DVD

This is the first installment of a series on how to learn a good underwater dolphin. While there are different ways to go about this, this sequence is pretty simple, and will be familiar to many of you.

Why Do It:
The underwater dolphin is the fastest many swimmers will ever travel in the water. It's become a staple of swimming on all levels, and can mean the difference between winning and losing in just about every event.

How to Do It:
1.  Step one starts with simple, head-lead body-dolphin exercise. Push off with hands at your sides and by initiate some gentle presses of the chest, allowing the hips and feet to follow the movement.
2.  Do your best to keep the head stable, and not let it bob. Send the top of the head forward.
3.  Try not to bend your knees too much, but allow the legs to flow. If you're going too deep, or kicking too hard, increase the rate of your pulses just a bit.
4.  Roll over and try the same exercise on your back. Remember, the ultimate goal of this will be to accomplish a great dolphin movement on your front, back, or side.
5.  Keep your thighs close to the surface of the water, but barely allow your knees to break the surface.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):
If you're having a hard time with this, put on some fins. Don't use the fins for more speed or power, but just allow the larger surface area to push you forward a bit more. Learning the underwater dolphin means learning to flow with your entire body. Do this by initiating the first step very slowly.

bodyline, dolphin, dolphin kick, pushoffs, Turns

Responses

camy	Responded Jan 26, 2010 07:34PM Nice drill. How do you breathe when on your stomach : each x undulations ?
Glenn Mills	Responded Jan 26, 2010 08:05PM Think of it from the standpoint that you have to be able to do it as long as you do a pushoff. However, you can either stop and take a breath, or pop up a bit higher when your head is coming up. That's really just the standard head lead body dolphin.
Tomás	Responded Jan 26, 2010 11:38PM I'd also suggest a front mounted snorkel.
awab	Responded Jan 27, 2010 06:27AM Very nice drill Thank you Glenn
Juliette	Responded Jan 27, 2010 03:44PM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7zLg0GQhM Yeah...finally my favorit drill!!!!
Tomás	Responded Jan 27, 2010 05:55PM Hey Juliette...are you the next Inge de Brujin???
Juliette	Responded Jan 27, 2010 06:49PM I hope soo....I know her personally....she is funny and great......and kicks ass on Butterfly!!!...she give's me some advices when I meet her.....And I give her a hug!!!
Tomás	Responded Jan 28, 2010 05:34PM Yes...you are dead right, she is an awesome swimmer. Why don't you share with me some of her advices :):):)...hell I am really struggling with that stroke!!!
wonderboy	Responded Jan 28, 2010 08:28PM Yes Juliette, share some of her advice with Tomas. He is the 2005 National Champion in the 50 fly, yet he's really struggling with the stroke. Sorry Tomas, but your online boasting has caught up with you. In the future, I will assume that everything you say is false, unless proven true. Thanks for playing.
Juliette	Responded Jan 29, 2010 07:15AM Hahahaha....my dad also thinks that you are very funny....hahahaha....
Tomás	Responded Jan 29, 2010 05:38PM Yes very funny Wonderboy!!!
wonderboy	Responded Jan 29, 2010 08:59PM False. The answer is that Wonderboy is extremely funny but his sarcasm did not go over well.
Tomás	Responded Jan 29, 2010 09:37PM Hey Wonderboy... Since you are a very good swimming coach then you can give some advice on my butterfly. My main problem is with the immediate "catch"...I tend to glide when my arms enter the water upon recovery instead of pulling back right away. Am I to strong and fast? Send me the bill with the advice. OK?
Tomás	Responded Jan 29, 2010 09:55PM Hey Glenn...I need your advice. For me the most difficult thing for the underwater dolphining is breath control. I get scared when practicing breath control because I used to have epilepsy. Even now I take medication for that stuff but it is mainly for my fear (medically it is so low that makes no sense, but psychologically it does)...maybe there is no connection at all between lack of oxygen and a probable seizure but thats the way I feel about it. Now that I am "training under Kara Lynnn Joyce" when I get to the hypoxic training I simply get scared. What can I do?
Juliette	Responded Jan 30, 2010 05:37PM I mean that the both of you are funny.....As for Tomás.....start with practicing how you are the most comfortable with your breathing....Here is a goor advice for swimming butterfly: after your pull push your breast out and shoulders back...your arms will go easyer over the water and also makes breathin-time longer.....The Dad
Tomás	Responded Jan 30, 2010 06:32PM Juliette, thanks for the advice. I'll try it today in my afternoon training and I will let you know how it worked out.
Juliette	Responded Jan 30, 2010 07:24PM Please do....also remember to strecht the arms when you are at the push-moment so it's easyer to work the shoulders....(the Dad)
sprinter	Responded Feb 01, 2010 10:49AM Tomas, it will be easier for people to give you tips on butterfly, if you upload a video of yourself swimming it.
Tomás	Responded Feb 01, 2010 03:29PM OK...I will.
Grant Hanson	Responded Feb 02, 2010 08:46PM I try to have my swimmers breathe occasionally without breaking the rhythm of the dolphin, just lifting the head and shoulders a tiny bit higher. Prompt catch is one of the most important skills. Tried a new delayed breathing drill yesterday for fly. You're not allowed to lift your head until your hands pull out of view of your eyes. A bunch of the new guys were trying to breathe before the pull was even started. But even my NRT 400 IMer looked better doing this one. Wonderboy looks like a dangerous person to cross...
Tomás	Responded Feb 02, 2010 10:55PM Only looks like...
vic	Responded Feb 05, 2010 11:35PM When I tried this, I couldn't get my head under water. It always stayed at the water surface. The whole movement was also very weak (small amplitude). What might be the problem? Thanks for the great videos. I hardly found any underwater dolphin instructions elsewhere, though I badly want to learn it.
vic	Responded Feb 07, 2010 08:23PM Another question: when doing this drill on my back, my nose was filled with water--water went into sinus. How to prevent this? Thanks for any comments!
krish	Responded Feb 18, 2010 01:46PM hi Vic why don't u try breathing out slowly through your nose, as it is u shouldn't really hold your breath so... instead of breathing out through your mouth use your nose. hope this helps
vic	Responded Feb 21, 2010 04:08AM Thank you krish. I think I was doing it for too long, so I held my breath instead of taking another breath. I will follow your advice and try breathing out through nose gradually.