How to Do the Dolphin Stroke Underwater

Co-authored by Hayley Church

Last Updated: May 16, 2024 References

The dolphin stroke is based on the undulating, powerful dolphin kick. It’s a tricky motion that uses the whole body, but it can help you swim much faster once you’ve mastered it. Based on research in fluid dynamics, it has helped Olympic gold medalists gain an edge over their competitors.^{[1]
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Part 1

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Doing the Dolphin Stroke

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Push off the wall, keeping your whole body under water. Stretch your hands in front of you in a streamline position. Keep your feet and legs straight and together, and keep your core tense.
- You should start off low enough in the water that you’ll be able to keep your whole body underwater while you execute the stroke. You might need to start off at a slight downward angle in order to achieve this, and it will probably take some practice.
- Be sure to breathe in fully before starting, since you’ll be under water for a while.
- You can do the dolphin stroke on your back, your front, or even your side, but when you’re learning it, it’s probably easier to start prone, with your face toward the bottom of the pool.
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Bend your knees slightly and extend your legs behind your body. Tilt your pelvis forward slightly to drive this motion. This part of the stroke is the backward kick, and it is meant to get your body into position.
- Focus on achieving a full extension with your legs.
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Tilt your pelvis backward to drive this part of the stroke. This is the forward kick, which provides the stroke’s propulsion. Your legs should extend in front of your body line during this part of the kick.
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Extend your feet fully. Feet, like a dolphin’s fins, generate much of the thrust in this kick. Fully extending your ankles can maximize this effect.^{[2]
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Research source} This is an unusual position in daily life, but strong, flexible ankles will improve all of your swimming kicks, not only the dolphin.
- In essence, you are pushing water, not only up and down, but also backward with this kick. Flexible, extended ankles are crucial to doing this effectively.^{[3]
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- Strengthen and stretch your ankles by tracing the alphabet with your feet. Lie on your back in a comfortable position and write each letter, lowercase and uppercase, in the air with each foot.
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Keep your body underwater. Don’t use the motion of your hips to stay underwater. Instead, control your depth using your arms. By keeping your arms in streamline position and pointing them slightly toward the bottom of the pool, you will resist the tendency of your body to float to the surface.
- The kick’s power is based in part on the insight that kicking underwater avoids the resistance created by turbulence and air at the surface.^{[4]
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Part 2

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Building Your Dolphin Stroke with Drills

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1
Practice pelvic rotation against a wall outside of the pool. Using a wall will help you isolate the pelvis and focus on building comfort and strength with this motion. In addition, the wall will keep your arms and shoulders in line, similar to the position you will want to maintain in the water.
- Stand with your upper back against the wall and your feet twelve to eighteen inches from the wall. Hold your arms above your head in streamline position. Tilt your pelvis backward by slowly crunching your abdomen in. Bring your middle and lower back slowly in contact with the wall as you do this. Then, reverse the motions. Repeat up to five times.^{[5]
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- Turn around and stand with your feet about eighteen inches from the wall. Keeping your pelvis above your feet, hold your arms above your head in streamline position and rest them on the wall. Rotating your pelvis forward, slowly bring the rest of your torso and then your thighs into contact with the wall. Reverse these motions and repeat up to five times.^{[6]
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Try the kick using a kickboard. Hold the kickboard level in front of you. Extend your arms instead and keep your head up. Do not “pump” the kickboard, but maintain an even, level position, keeping your arms and your shoulders in a steady plane. Imagine you are leaning against a wall in order to keep your torso and arms still; the motion should come from your pelvis and legs.^{[7]
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- When you feel comfortable with this drill, try the same thing without the kickboard.^{[8]
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- You may also practice this drill in deep water to build the necessary amplitude.^{[9]
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Push off from the wall at the surface and oriented on one side. Extend the bottom arm in front of you and stretch the other arm along the top of your body. Stay in the middle of the lane. This drill helps to develop the symmetry required of the stroke.^{[10]
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The dolphin kick can help you develop a faster stroke rate. Match one stroke with each kick for a short distance in this drill, not pausing to breathe.^{[11]
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What is the meaning of dolphin kick?

Hayley Church
Aquatic Manager
Hayley Church is an owner at Cooksey's Lifeguard & Swim Academy, LLC in Southern California. Hayley has been a lifeguard and swim instructor since 2007 and has dedicated her time to teaching people of all ages how to swim. Hayley and her team offer lifeguards and programming such as swim camp counselors, swim lessons, and water aerobics classes to clients of all sizes from large organizations to private homes. She received her Master’s degree in Recreation Management.

Hayley Church

Aquatic Manager

Expert Answer

A dolphin kick is a worm-like movement where you move your chest, hips, and legs in an alternating pattern to move through the water.

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How can a beginner learn to swim?

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You could find and take swimming lessons, and/or read the attached article.

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What's the easiest swimming method for children?

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The front crawl is a very simple technique, and it isn't strenuous like the butterfly.

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Tips

A dolphin kick can be used for a butterfly stroke, which is one of the main strokes in a competition. If you're doing a dolphin kick specifically for a butterfly, then there's no need to be completely underwater. In this case, you should be right on the surface level, in a way that your body is coming in and out of the water gently.

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Warnings

This is an advanced stroke. Master more basic strokes, such as freestyle with butterfly kick, and make sure you are comfortable in the water before attempting this stroke. Since it's a bit of a weird movement for beginners, don't be discouraged when learning.

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Follow the rules. Depending on your level and where you’re competing, the use of the dolphin kick might be regulated. In the Olympics, for example, swimmers are not allowed to stay underwater for too much of each length. Use the dolphin kick effectively but honestly.^{[12]
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