Let’s make something clear: most swimmers overthink the underwater dolphin kick. They complicate it. They chase hacks, gadgets, and tricks when the answer has been staring them in the face the whole time.
It’s not about talent. It’s not about genetics. It’s about commitment. And practice.
Leo Marand didn’t magically develop the ability to dolphin kick 50 meters underwater at the end of a 400 IM. He built it. One kick at a time. Day after day. Set after set. That level of control, endurance, and power wasn’t something he found—it’s something he created. Through repetition.
And that’s exactly what you can do too.
Why Dolphin Kick Matters
Underwater dolphin kick is the fastest form of swimming. Faster than freestyle. Faster than butterfly. By far the fastest way for a human to move through water—so fast, in fact, that it’s restricted in competition. That’s why the 15-meter rule exists. If the rules didn’t limit it, some swimmers would probably never surface. But since we’re allowed those 15 meters, the smart swimmers use them to their full advantage.
Here’s the hard truth: if you’re not maximizing your underwaters, you’re leaving speed on the table. And the difference between average and elite is often found in what happens between the flags.
Practice with Purpose
Most swimmers think they need to “go hard” on underwaters once or twice a week. Maybe they save them for a main set or a time trial. That’s a mistake.
Underwaters are not a once-in-a-while skill. They’re a habit. The swimmers who dominate in this area don’t just push underwaters on hard sets—they do it in warmups, in cooldowns, in drills. Every wall, every turn, every practice.
It starts small. Three dolphin kicks off every wall. Doesn’t matter if it’s freestyle, backstroke, or butterfly—make three kicks your baseline. When that becomes second nature, go to four. Then five. Layer it. Build it slowly, like you would with weights in the gym or mileage in a running plan.
There’s no magic number, but there is a golden rule: never miss a rep.
Swim Like a Fish, Not Like a Human
We are not built for the water the way a fish is. A marlin can swim over 130 kilometers per hour because it moves through water with every part of its body. It doesn’t waste energy. It doesn’t fight drag. It leverages its entire length to generate propulsion.
We don’t have that anatomy, but we can mimic it. The best underwater kickers don’t just kick hard—they kick efficiently. They use their entire body, not just their legs, to flow through the water. Their core is active. Their chest and hips stay aligned. Their kick drives power in both directions—down and up.
To get there, you have to train in all directions. Kick on your stomach, your back, your sides. Train with and without fins. Use drag socks. Use parachutes. Put your body in uncomfortable positions and force it to adapt. This is how you engage different muscle groups and build total-body awareness in the water.
The goal isn’t just to kick harder—it’s to kick smarter.
Stop Swimming in Circles
This might sound basic, but it’s one of the most overlooked truths in the sport. The fastest way through water is a straight line. Anything that sends you off that line is slowing you down. If your freestyle pull crosses over. If you’re zigzagging through the lane. If you’re bouncing vertically instead of pushing forward—you are wasting time.
Underwater dolphin kick is the same. If your kick sends your body upward, downward, or off-center, you’re not getting the full return on your effort. That’s where form matters. That’s where drills matter. That’s why video feedback matters.
Precision beats power every time.
Three Days Before Your Race: Do Nothing
This is where a lot of swimmers fall apart.
They’ve put in months of work, and suddenly, three days before the big race, panic sets in. They start overtraining. They tweak their diet. They try to cram in last-minute sets hoping to “feel fast.”
But here’s the truth: if you’re three days out, the work is already done. Nothing you do now is going to make you faster. The only thing that matters at this point is rest, confidence, and gratitude.
Eat like you normally eat. Sleep well. Visualize your race. Smile. Remind yourself of how far you’ve come. When you step onto the blocks, take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. That’s the point of all this. That’s why we train.
Performance is the reward for preparation—not panic.
Final Thought
If there’s one takeaway here, it’s this: underwater dolphin kick is not a skill you’re born with. It’s something you train. Just like breathing, just like floating, just like anything else.
You’re not trying to be perfect tomorrow. You’re trying to get a little better every day. Three dolphin kicks today. Four tomorrow. Five the week after. Before you know it, you’re the one gliding 15 meters off every wall with ease and confidence.
Start small. Stay consistent. Swim forward. And above all—enjoy the journey.
You’re not just mastering a skill.
You’re becoming the swimmer you’ve always had the potential to be.
