Kicking mistakes in butterfly

Ankle extension ability is a major asset in dolphin kicking. Swimmers should be able to extend their feet more than 70 degrees from the vertical. Those who do not possess this ability will need to increase the range of motion with specially designed ankle flexibility exercises. Good ankle extension is very important during the downbeat of the dolphin kick. Swimmers with good ankle flexibility can maintain a backward orientation to the water with the feet until late in the downbeat. On the other hand, swimmers with poor ankle extension ability, will simply push down with their feer, just like with their legs, on the water during the latter part of the downbeat.

Another frequent mistake swimmers make is to kick too deep when they dolphin kick. This problem is particularly common during the downbeat of the second dolphin kick. The feet should be only slightly deeper than the trunk when the downbeats of the dolphin kick are completed. Kicking deeper than this will only increase form and pushing drag because the legs will be well below the body and they will be kicking forward as well as downward during the final portion of the downbeat.

Another common mistake swimmers make is to bend the legs during the upbeat of the dolphin kick. This error, perhaps more than any other, reduces the propulsion many swimmers achieve from kicking. The effect of this mistake is that swimmerswill push tha water up and forward with the legs, increasing pushing drag and decelerating forward speed. Swimmers should not bend the knees until the downbeat begins, that is, until they begin pressing down with the thighs.