"Straighten your knees! Kick hard!" Is that a huge mistake!? The surprising secret to the dolphin kick
Hello everyone, it's Yoshi, the fin president!
"Keep your knees straight when you do the dolphin kick!"
"Kick deeper and harder!"
These are phrases you've started to hear often at the pool.
If you've been swimming seriously lately, hasn't everyone heard this at least once? This point that sounds so important, told to you by coaches, seniors, or swimming geeks.
And I bet many of you have desperately tried to straighten your knees and put effort into kicking the water hard. It's a scene I still see often at the pool.
But in reality, this "important-sounding point" is completely hindering your swimming progress. It's a shame.
"Wait, so should I bend my knees?"
Hmm, that's not it either.
Actually, the secret to an efficient kick lies between these "extremes."
Today, as a result of research from having done and watched the dolphin kick tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times, let me tell you about the surprising truth that will open up new possibilities for your dolphin kick.
The secret to an efficient kick
When thinking about the kick, how you use your knees becomes incredibly important. And the "should I bend or straighten my knees?" problem mentioned at the beginning.
Haven't you thought about it or heard about it?
First, to give you the conclusion, the essence of the dolphin kick lies not in "bending the knees" or "straightening them," but in "(naturally) bending the knees."
Do you understand?
It's not about consciously trying to straighten your knees, nor is it about intentionally trying to bend them.
"The knees bend naturally during the movement" I discovered that this is the answer.
A trap that many swimmers fall into. It's a scene often seen in the flutter kick as well. You convince yourself that bending your knees to slap the water surface and making a flapping sound is the correct way. Because it's easy to be conscious of, you end up kicking hard with your lower legs. You've never even thought about the up-kick (the kick upward)... This same misunderstanding is easy to happen with fins or the dolphin kick as well.
Why is "natural bending" important?
For example, if you consciously bend your knees in the "prone" position, which is the swimming posture, two major problems occur.
Everything from the knees down (shins to feet) protrudes above the body line, creating significant resistance
You can only use the power of the quadriceps (muscles on the front of the thighs), significantly reducing power and efficiency
On the other hand, the natural bending of the knees that occurs when you keep your feet and fins in a high position while your hips and thighs sink during the preparation phase of the kick enables a kick that can efficiently use the power of the entire body. You can realize an ideal movement that uses not only the quadriceps but also the upper body strength, such as the iliopsoas and abdominal muscles.
The effect created by this "natural bending" is immense. You will be able to maintain propulsion at all times, which will result in a significant increase in speed and improvement in your times.
Practical training methods
1. Basic underwater practice
The first step is to start by swimming "gracefully" rather than pursuing speed. Especially when using fins, I recommend practicing underwater first.
Why underwater? Because the water catches the fins firmly. It makes it easier to grasp the sensation, especially during the up-kick (the upward kicking motion). You can clearly feel the sensation of catching the water with the soles of your feet and the back of your body, which is easy to overlook at the surface.
It is easy to focus on the down-kick, but the posture and sensation of the up-kick are just as important. If you cannot perform both kicks well, your swimming will become unstable, characterized by a "move, stop, move, stop" rhythm.
2. Self-check with side kicks
Once you have leveled up, try challenging yourself with this practice method for self-checking.
The "side kick," where you turn sideways underwater and perform a dolphin kick, is the ultimate practice method for instantly checking your kick balance.
The trick is simple:
Use the center line of the pool as a guide
Check if you can swim straight
If you drift left or right, it is proof that your kick balance is off
What you should pay attention to here is the natural bend of your knees. If you try to bend them consciously, you won't be able to make smooth transitions, resulting in jerky swimming.
3. Sensory practice using fins
Fins have a wonderful feature as a "ruler."
When practicing barefoot, the load when kicking the water is low, making it difficult to feel which muscles you are using. However, by wearing fins, that sensation becomes much easier to grasp.
Which muscles you are using
At what timing you are applying force
How much strength you are using
Being able to understand these sensations intuitively is extremely helpful for improving your form.
The tips for grasping this sensation are:
First, perform the movement slowly
Consciously explore the muscles you are using
Try changing the amount of force you apply
4. Common mistakes and how to deal with them
Here are the problems that often occur during training that you should keep in mind:
Kicking too hard
Putting too much force into the quadriceps during the down kick
Putting too much force into the hamstrings during the up kick
Result: Unable to perform a smooth transition
Solution:
Relax and focus on smooth movement
Find the right amount of force while feeling the water resistance
For an ideal kick
The following three points are important for perfecting an efficient dolphin kick:
Let your knees bend as part of a natural movement
Do not bend them consciously
Utilize the natural bend that occurs within the movement of the whole body
Focus on a form that allows you to use your entire body's strength
Not just the quadriceps
Utilize your iliopsoas and abdominal muscle groups as well
Perform both the down kick and up kick with equal care
With a balanced kick
Always maintain propulsion
And finally, one more important point—don't kick too much. If you put in too much force, you won't be able to make a smooth transition. For a smooth and efficient swim, try to keep your force level moderate.
By practicing with these points in mind, your kick will definitely change. It might not be perfected overnight. But if you work on it consciously one step at a time, you will surely see improvement.
Look forward to the next Technique Monday!
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See ya!
Finswimming Specialist
Finfish President Yoshihide Sekino
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