Watch any elite swimmer and you’ll notice that they have great underwater dolphin skills.   Underwater dolphins are so important that they’re now considered to be a fifth stroke in swimming.  

In order to get to this…I like to start by teaching this: Head-Lead Body Dolphin.

Start with the swimmer on the front, and have them press gently down with the chest. Think of the air in the lungs just dipping below the waterline.

Next, have the swimmer move to her back and still with the arms at her sides.  Keep it an isolated undulation…no head movement.  Keep the head neutral…looking straight up.  Don’t tuck the chin.

The next step is to transition to an arm-leading position, like this. When first learning this skill it’s okay not to be in streamline.  With the hands slightly apart, the swimmer will be a little more flexible.

Tell the swimmer to move the fingertips forward, not up and down.  Use the abs and hips to generate the undulating movement and keep the feet under water…no splash.

Next, have her try the movement on her back, and on both sides.  Go for short distances when learning…half lengths (12.5 yards/ meters are ideal.)

The next step is to go under water and go into complete streamline, like this.

For young children with short arms in relation to the size of their head, its best to streamline like this…

…as opposed to this.

The determining factor is the position of the head.  We want it in neutral. In this position a greater percentage of the head is within the bodyline.

I give her a dolphin ride and she gets the feeling of moving forward fast…it’s fun!

Next we will try streamline dolphin on her back.  Notice how I submerge her, manipulate the movement, and go just a short distance as I hold her in streamline.

I tell her to take a deep breath and then blow bubbles out her nose as she starts. 

I definitely want her eyes looking at the surface of the water. Don’t tuck the chin. It will cause more resistance and the swimmer will surface too quickly.

As your swimmers progress with their underwater skills you can have them do the underwater log roll in streamline…like this. 

And then have them push off on their side and rotate to the front.  

All of these drills can be performed with fins.  It’s important to remind the swimmers to focus on the movement originating from the core and not from the fin.  Remind them to move like a dolphin…and dolphins don’t have knees.

Remind them that to be legal in butterfly, the swimmer is not permitted to roll onto the back at any time.  They can be on their side on the push-off and during their underwater dolphins, but the body must be on the breast when they begin the first arm stroke.


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Underwater Dolphins - Haufler