Dolphin Swimming

Definition

Today’s dolphin swimming developed in the 1930s when swimmers started breaststroke, simultaneously bringing their arms forward above the water surface. This arm action was combined with a conventional breaststroke. The resulting combination was and is still used today in the German Swimming Association (DSV) as butterfly swimming. In 1965 the technique of dolphin swimming was shown for the first time in swimming. Here, the simultaneous up and down movement of the legs resembles a dolphin’s fin stroke.

Competition rules

  • The body must be held in the chest position during the entire movement. – All movements of the feet must be performed simultaneously. – After the start and after each turn, the swimmer must not be fully submerged for more than 15 meters.
  • After the start the swimmer may perform several leg strokes and one armstroke under water. – The arms must be moved backwards under water at the same time. – At each turn, and at the finish line, the swimmer must strike with both hands

Motion description

Arm movement The swimmer dives into the water with both hands simultaneously. The stretched arms are moved continuously outward-forward (under the body) under water. The torso is slightly lifted.

At the moment when the arms (under water) reach shoulder height (double shoulder width), they are turned inwards. The pressure phase begins. The elbows are increasingly bent, the fingertips point diagonally downwards.

The hands approach below the shoulder axis. Then the arms are moved outwards towards the thighs. The body thus wanders over the arms.

The movement of the arms thus resembles an elongated S. During this phase, the head breaks the water line looking down. The elbows and then the hands leave the water. The explosive, semi-circular forward swing of the arms to the starting position then begins.

The torso moves forward and downwards. When the arms pass the shoulders, the head dives into the water. Leg movement During an arm pull cycle, two whip-like leg movements take place.

The first leg strike occurs when the hands dive in, and the second when the outward action of the arms ends. They are similar to the fin movement of dolphins. Important here is the coordination between thigh, lower leg and feet.

The movements must follow each other in time, so that a rhythmic movement takes place. The movement must be loose and uninhibited. The decisive factor in dolphin swimming is the undulating movement of the swimmer. (Arms- Head– Trunk- Thigh– Thigh- Lower- Leg- Feet are moved one after the other on a wave-like path). A detailed description of the movement can be found under Movement Description Dolphin Swimming

Typical errors

  • The hands are not moved in an S-shape after the dive, but directly downwards under the body. This shortens the working distance and the movement must be performed faster with a higher frequency. – The hands cut the water, so the abutment cannot be built up optimally and the forward movement is slower.
  • The torso is lifted too early, so the force of the 2nd leg strike works upwards and not forward. – Head and line of sight are directed forward and not downwards during breathing, thus no wave-like movement of the body occurs. – The leg strike is not coordinated in time, thus the muscles tense up and the lifting of the upper body is much weaker. – The 2nd leg movement occurs too early, therefore the upper body cannot be lifted out of the water enough. – Pause after the cycle, thereby the total movement is interrupted and a worsened wave movement of the body occurs