Improving Your Underwater Dolphin Kick

Master the Hidden Engine of Speed — Where Races Are Won Before the First Stroke

In competitive swimming, the fastest part of your race doesn’t happen on the surface — it happens underwater. From the dive to the wall push-off, the dolphin kick is your secret weapon: a silent, streamlined burst of speed that elite swimmers use to gain critical meters before their competitors even get moving.

Yet many swimmers waste this golden opportunity with weak undulation, poor body position, or inconsistent timing. The result? Lost momentum, slower breakouts, and races decided before they truly begin.

The good news? The underwater dolphin kick is a learnable skill — not a genetic gift. With focused drills, intelligent feedback, and smart progression, any swimmer can transform their underwater phase from a liability into a race-winning advantage.

In this guide, we’ll break down the biomechanics, the drills, and the mindset needed to build a powerful, efficient, and legal dolphin kick — stroke after stroke, wall after wall.

🌊 Why the Dolphin Kick Matters More Than You Think

• Less drag: A tight streamline underwater moves 20–30% faster than surface swimming

• More propulsion: Undulation engages core, glutes, and lats — not just legs

• Race impact: In a 50m freestyle, up to 60% of the race can be swum underwater

• Legal edge: Up to 15 meters after starts and turns (FINA Rule SW 8.3)

“If your underwater kick isn’t strong, you’re not racing — you’re reacting.”— Coach Bob Bowman

🔍 The Anatomy of a Powerful Dolphin Kick

A great dolphin kick isn’t just leg movement — it’s a full-body wave that starts in the chest and flows to the toes.

✅ The 4-Phase Wave:

1. Chest Press → Hips rise

2. Hip Drive → Knees bend slightly

3. Foot Snap → Legs snap together powerfully

4. Glide → Body extends in streamline — no extra movement

🎯 Key Cue: “Press your chest down like you’re nodding ‘yes’ — let your hips follow.”

✅ Legal Requirements:

• Must remain on your stomach (no rolling in freestyle/fly)

• Must surface by 15 meters after start/turn

• Only one arm pull allowed in butterfly before surfacing

🛠️ 5 Essential Drills to Build a World-Class Dolphin Kick

1. Streamline Glide + 1 Kick

Purpose: Feel the wave initiation without fatigue.

How to do it:

• Push off wall in tight streamline

• Perform one full dolphin kick

• Glide to a stop

• Focus: Chest press → hip lift → foot snap

• Sets: 6–8 x 15m

💡 Progress: Add a second kick once the wave feels natural.

2. Vertical Dolphin Kick

Purpose: Isolate undulation without forward momentum.

How to do it:

• In deep water, cross arms over chest

• Kick vertically to keep chin above water

• Keep knees underwater — movement comes from hips and core  

• Sets: 6 x 30 seconds

🎯 Cue: “Kick like a dolphin — not a frog.”

3. 5-Kick Max Distance

Purpose: Build power and streamline efficiency.

How to do it:

• Push off wall in streamline

• Perform 5 powerful dolphin kicks  

• Glide as far as possible without moving

• Measure distance — aim to increase weekly

• Sets: 6–8 x 15m

📏 Elite Goal: 12–18 meters (LCM), 10–15 meters (SCY)

4. Dolphin Kick on Side

Purpose: Improve core control and body awareness.

How to do it:

• Push off wall on your side in streamline

• Perform 5–7 dolphin kicks without rolling

• Switch sides each rep

• Sets: 4 x 25m

💡 Why it works: Builds rotational stability — critical for IM and freestyle starts.

5. Race-Pace Pullout + 3 Strokes

Purpose: Integrate kick into legal, race-specific breakouts.

How to do it:

• Full start or turn

• 1 dolphin kick → 1 underwater arm pull (fly) → 5 dolphin kicks → breakout

• First stroke underwater — not in the air

• Sets: 8 x 25m

⚠️ Rule Reminder: Must surface by 15m — practice with a pool marker!

💪 Key Physical Elements to Train

1. Ankle Flexibility

• Tight ankles = weak kick

• Fix: Stretch daily — sit on heels, use resistance bands for plantar flexion

2. Core Strength

• The wave starts in the core — not the legs

• Fix: Dead bugs, planks, and Pallof presses 2–3x/week

3. Hip Mobility

• Restricted hips = flat, knee-driven kick

• Fix: Hip circles, glute bridges, and dynamic lunges

🎯 Dryland Tip: 10 minutes of targeted mobility work 3x/week = faster underwater speed.

📊 How to Track Progress

Metric	How to Track	Goal
Underwater Distance	Mark pool floor after 5 kicks	Increase 1–2m over 6 weeks
Breakout Timing	Film side view — is first stroke underwater?	Yes — always
Streamline Tightness	Coach feedback — no gaps at hands/elbows	“Biceps squeeze ears”
Kick Count Consistency	Same number of kicks every wall	Builds rhythm and legality

⚠️ Common Mistakes — And How to Fix Them

Mistake	Why It’s Bad	Fix
Kicking from knees	Creates drag, kills momentum	Cue: “Initiate from your chest”
Loose streamline	Leaks speed instantly	“Lock hands, squeeze ears” drill
Breaking out too early	Wastes free speed	Use 15m marker — practice to the line
Lifting head on breakout	Drops hips, increases drag	“Eyes down, chin tucked”
Inconsistent kick count	Breaks rhythm, risks DQ	Use Tempo Trainer beep for timing

🧠 Mental Focus: The Invisible Skill

• Visualize the wave before every start: “Chest down → hips up → feet snap”

• Breathe before the dive — calm nervous system

• Trust the glide — don’t rush the first stroke

💬 Mantra: “Fast underwater. Smooth breakout. Strong first stroke.”

💬 Wisdom from Elite Swimmers

“My coach made me do 100 underwater dolphin kicks before every set. I thought it was torture. Then I dropped 1.2 seconds in my 100 fly.”— NCAA Finalist

“The wall isn’t a break — it’s a launch. And I launch like a rocket.”— Caeleb Dressel, Olympic Champion

Final Thoughts

The race doesn’t start when you dive in —it starts when you press your chest down and let the wave begin.

Every powerful dolphin kick is a promise:“I’ve trained for this. I’m ready to fly.”

So don’t just kick.Undulate. Streamline. Launch.

Because in swimming, the fastest swimmers aren’t the ones who move their legs fastest —they’re the ones who move their whole body as one silent, seamless wave.

Press. Kick. Glide. Fly.

Speed isn’t on the surface — it’s in the silence beneath. 💙🏊‍♂️