Why Should I Dolphin Kick???

I received the following question in response to one of my previous posts.

Why is dolphin kicking off your walls important? For me, it seems to waste energy and make me even more tired when I continue a race.

It is true that for some people, dolphin-kicking off walls is ineffective at helping them go faster in a race. These people simply haven't developed their underwater kicking ability to the point that it can help them.

One of the core principles of training is that you must train the way you want to race. Develop your skills in practice so that you can dive in on race day and be automatic. Improve your dolphin kicking at practice to the point that it can help you. Make it a habit. Become adept at it. Then and only then will it help you in a race.