dolphin kick

swimming

Also known as: dolphin kick

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Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

The dolphin kick is a leg movement used in swimming, particularly in the butterfly stroke. It involves an up-and-down motion of the legs, distinct from the breaststroke's side-to-side whip kick. Originally, the butterfly stroke used a frog kick, but this evolved into a dolphin kick, which relies solely on the legs moving vertically. Swimmers later incorporated two dolphin kicks for each arm pull. Breathing in competitive butterfly involves lifting the head every second or third stroke. The flutter kick, an alternating whipping motion, is used in other swimming styles like the crawl.123

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swimming
Butterfly
…used was abandoned for a fishtail (dolphin) kick, depending only on up-and-down movement of the legs. Later swimmers used two dolphin kicks to one arm pull. Breathing is done in sprint competition by raising the head every second or third stroke.
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…used was abandoned for a fishtail (dolphin) kick, depending only on up-and-down movement of the legs. Later swimmers used two dolphin kicks to one arm pull. Breathing is done in sprint competition by raising the head every second or third stroke.
Read More