Olympic champion and elite dolphin kicker Ryan Murphy shares his top tips for a faster underwater dolphin kick, including kick count, core training, and rhythm.
Elite swimmers make the underwater dolphin kick look effortless, and backstroke legend Ryan Murphy is a perfect example. Murphy is an Olympic champion, world record breaker, NCAA champ, and dolphin kick assassin.
Watch him kick off the walls, particularly when he swims the 200m backstroke, and you’ll be treated to some of the smoothest, most powerful dolphin kicking on the planet.
But that effortless and WR-busting dolphin kick didn’t fall out of his swim bag on race day. It is the product of years of consistent practice, strength, and technique.
Here are three things swimmers can learn in their own pursuit of a faster underwater dolphin kick from one of the best in the pool.
Use a kick count
A kick count is one of the most effective (and simple) strategies swimmers have at their disposal to improve their dolphin kick. This is as easy as setting a specific number of kicks per wall during practice.
Using a kick count might seem too simple or low tech, but it’s hilariously powerful when you zoom out as it forces swimmers to:
- Improve their conditioning, both muscular and respiratory, to kick out further and faster
- Practice under variations, from the main set to warm-down, building a strong foundation of performance
- Builds muscle memory so that efficient technique becomes automatic
- Increases your mental toughness and ability to tolerate rising CO2
Murphy does 6-8 dolphin kicks every time he pushes off the wall. This includes warm-up, warm-down, and every set in between. The consistency of doing it every time is what makes it so key:
“If you don’t apply it every time, it won’t pay off in a race,” says Murphy.
And therein lies the biggest benefit of a kick count.
You can rely on it under pressure. You don’t have to force it in competition. You’ve done it so many times in practice that you can set your brain to automatic and focus on execution and nothing else.
Build the core
The core plays a vital role every swimmer’s underwater dolphin kick. According to Murphy:
“Doing a lot of abdominal exercises so you can hold yourself up in the water using your core is something I find really crucial.”
A strong, stable core benefits your UDK by:
- Encouraging smoother transitions. A strong core helps smoothen out the transitions between kick phases. Swimmers can change leg direction and maintain a smoother flow between the upkick and downkick phases.
- Controlling amplitude and frequency. A strong/stable core allows you to exert more force with big amplitude kicking (perfect for sprinters) or maintain a smooth and slim dolphin kick (ideal for longer races).
- Adjusting body position. When underwater, swimmers must fight the natural buoyancy of the upper body (air in the lungs) and the weight of their legs (muscle mass of the lower body) pulling them down. A strong core keeps us horizontal and properly angled when kicking toward the surface of the water.
Focus on rhythm
Undulation, the wave-like movement of the trunk, hips, knees, and ankles, is the most challenging part of executing a fast dolphin kick. This can also be expressed as rhythm, as proficient undulation results in a balanced kick with minimal disruptions between phases.
“I think the key with underwater dolphin kick is keeping the rhythm,” says Murphy.
To develop a more rhythmic kick that leads to better undulation, practice kicking at different (using the FINIS Tempo Trainer.) Try different kick amplitudes, vary your speed, and log lots of repetitions underwater (ahem, kick count).
The Bottom Line
Ryan Murphy’s underwater dolphin kick isn’t magic. It’s pure intentional mastery.
He built it over the years with rampant repetition and consistency. Focused on building the core support and strength to propel his body at lightning speeds once technique was locked in. And never stopped mastering the rhythmic flow of a fast dolphin kick.
So:
- Set a kick count
- Train your core
- Lock in the rhythm
With enough reps, your underwater kick can go from an afterthought to an afterburner.
Happy kicking!
When you head to the pool today, and you push off or dive in, don’t sleep on the upkick!
The Ultimate Guide for a Faster Underwater Dolphin Kick
Want help leveling up your underwater dolphin kick? The Dolphin Kick Manual is the ultimate resource for helping swimmers and swim coaches develop a world-class underwater dolphin kick.
The Dolphin Kick Manual is a beastly 240+ pages of actionable insights and research into elite dolphin kicking technique and performance. It details everything from mastering undulation to vortex recapturing to structuring a dryland program for dolphin kicking success.
It combines evidence-based insights with a collection of 20 ready-to-go sets and a 6-week Action Plan to help swimmers set a course for dolphin kicking success.
Train smarter and kick faster.
