I have a class assignment with regards to swimming mechanics. I'm totally stumped on the following two questions....

1. Explain why in the backstroke it was a competitive advantage from a biomechanical point of view to swim underwater using a dolphin kick as much as possible.

2. Using the rationale from above explain why the underwater dolphin kick is not used in front crawl. Hint: Compare the possible power generated from the arms in the backstroke movement to the front crawl movement.

I believe the answer is related to the decrease in wave drag associated with swimming underwater but I'm not sure.

Thanks

-- Jonathan Witt (jonovision99@hotmail.com), October 23, 2002

Answers

1.) When you are completly underwater you make no splashes. So I figure that all of your energy goes to propolsion, and not splasing water a few feet into the air. If you can get a lot of force using an underwater kick, and have minimum resistance (being streamline) than you will save energy and move faster. 2.) People do swim dolphin kick freestyle off the wall, but it is illegal to do it for long, (in some places) and in freestlye you will be able to go faster on the surface.

-- kevin (qkev1@msn.com), May 30, 2003.

حكايات الأولياء
مولانا محمد صديق برچونڈوي رحمه الله پچهلي صدي هجري كے ايك بڑے بزرگ گزرے ہيں. آپ كو گردوں كي تكليف رہتي تهي, جب تكليف شدة اختيار كرتي تو آپ رحمه الله ريت پر ليٹ كر لوٹتے اور اپنا يہ شعر پڑهتے

لطفِ سجن دم بدم قهرِ سجن گاه گاه
اے وي سجن واه واه اوه وي سجن واه واه

-- -- Karrisa (xxx@msn.com) (Karrisa (xxx@msn.com)), July 21, 2003.

the rule for both freestyle and backstroke underwater enjulation is the same; 15 yards (or meters) off each wall regardless of the length of the pool

-- poolBoy (isa_muqattash@yahoo.com), October 15, 2003.