Underwater Kick Body Alignment Drills

This group of drills will help you focus on improving your underwater dolphin kick body alignment. They range from basic to more advanced so you can progress through the drills as you get more comfortable.

Wall Kick

Creating stability in your upper body is key for learning how to undulate effectively. The simplest way to learn how to create stability is to do underwater dolphin kick drills during which you can’t move your hands and arms. Wall kick is a perfect drill for working on this.

To do this drill, place your hands against the wall and start doing an aggressive dolphin kick using a large range of motion, as though you’re trying to push the wall away from you.

Vertical Kick

Vertical kick can be used for many purposes, including controlling the range of motion you use with your upper body. If you can learn to undulate from a stable position, you’ll be better able to control your alignment.

To do this drill, assume a vertical position in deep water. Begin dolphin kicking with your hands across your chest so that you can keep your head above water. Keep your head as still as possible while aggressively dolphin kicking.

Vertical Kick in Streamline While Holding an Object

Your focus when doing vertical kick in streamlined position while holding an object should be on controlling the range of motion of your upper body.

To do this drill, grab a pull buoy or other light object. Get into a streamlined position and do an aggressive dolphin kick. Your goal is to ensure that the object moves as little as possible while you’re kicking hard enough to keep your head above water. This drill can be made more difficult by using a weighted object or easier by using fins.

Underwater Dolphin Kick in Streamline While Holding an Object

Underwater dolphin kick in a streamlined position while holding an object helps you learn how to start your undulation from your upper body.

To do this drill, hold a small object such as a paddle in your hands. Push off the wall in a streamlined position, doing underwater dolphin kicks while keeping the object out in front of you as still as possible. Although you don’t have to maintain the same rigidity during normal underwater dolphin kicking, learning how to create stability is key for fast underwater kicking. Holding something buoyant, such as a pull buoy, can increase the challenge.

Underwater Dolphin Kick With Arms Across Chest

Underwater dolphin kick with your arms across your chest improves your alignment two ways. First, the position of your arms makes beginning the undulation in your upper body more difficult. Second, it makes your streamlined position much worse. Making those skills worse is helpful because once you return to normal underwater dolphin kicking, you’ll be more aware of how to do it properly.

To do this drill, cross your arms across your chest and do underwater dolphin kicking as you normally would.

Underwater Dolphin Kick With Arms Crossed Behind Head

Underwater dolphin kick with your arms crossed behind your head improves your alignment in two ways. First, the position of your arms makes beginning the undulation in your upper body more difficult. Second, it makes your streamlined position much worse. Making those skills worse is helpful because once you return to normal underwater dolphin kicking, you’ll be more aware of how to do it properly.

To do this drill, cross your arms behind your head as if you were reclining on a patio lounge and then do underwater dolphin kicking as you normally would.

Underwater Dolphin Kick Big to Small

A key skill in keeping resistance low during underwater dolphin kick is choosing the optimal amount of undulation. Because there are so many differences between swimmers, choosing that amount can be difficult. Forcefully exploring an exaggerated range of motion to find the amplitude that works best for you can be helpful.

To do underwater dolphin kick big to small, do streamlined dolphin kick but start with an abnormally large range of motion. Progressively shrink that range of motion until it’s abnormally small. Using fins can make this drill more effective.

Underwater Dolphin Kick Small to Big

A key skill in keeping resistance low during underwater dolphin kick is choosing the optimal amount of undulation. Because there are so many differences between swimmers, choosing that amount can be difficult. Forcefully exploring an exaggerated range of motion to find the amplitude that works best for you can be helpful.

To do underwater dolphin kick small to big, do streamlined dolphin kick but start with an abnormally small range of motion. Progressively increase that range of motion until it’s abnormally large. Using fins can make this drill more effective.

Underwater Dolphin Kick With a T-Shirt

Awareness of how your body feels as it’s moving through the water is key to keeping resistance low. You must feel the resistance you create and make subtle adjustments to reduce it.

A great way to improve this awareness is underwater dolphin kick with a T-shirt. To do this drill, simply wear a T-shirt while doing streamlined dolphin kick. You’ll feel the resistance on your upper body, and then when you take the T-shirt off, you’ll feel the flow of water on your body. This simple drill helps you to find postures that create less resistance.

Underwater Dolphin Kick With Shorts

Awareness of how your body feels as it’s moving through the water is key to keeping resistance low. You must feel the resistance you create and make subtle adjustments to reduce it.

A great way to improve this awareness is underwater dolphin kick with shorts. To do this drill, simply wear shorts while doing streamlined dolphin kick. You’ll feel the resistance on your hips and thighs, and when you take them off, you’ll feel the flow of water on your body. This simple drill helps you to find postures that create less resistance.