Butterfly

Butterfly (skill)

Definition: A stroke where proper kicking and strength from the core and thighs make the kick stronger and serve as the anchor point for the rest of the stroke. It can be difficult and complicated for new swimmers.

Core cues:

1. Powerful kick, long arms
2. The kick drives the arms
3. Rolling hips, easy arms
4. Hips up, arms in 11
5. Arms pull and hip drop
6. Throw hips up and recover
7. Thumbs down, clap the back of hands above head
8. Clap, the back of the hands above your head

Coach interpretation:

• Hips up, arms in 11: Use this language for beginner swimmers; the position is exaggerated but an effective position for new learners.
• Arms pull and hip drop: Drive the hips forward or down as the arms pull water below the body.
• Throw hips up and recover: Thrust the hips or butt up to swing arms out of the water and initiate the recovery.
• Thumbs down, clap the back of hands above head: Recover, or return to position 11, by keeping the thumbs pointed at the bottom of the pool while leading the motion with the back of the hand.
• Hips up in position 11 and hips down when pulling arms underwater: Focus here to fix a weak recovery.
• The breath should happen as the arms pull water down; the face should be turning down and breath finished while the arms recover out of the water in airplane.
• Tie the breath to the arms: arms in 11 then face in the water; arms near hips, then be breathing.

Teaching strategy:

Pepper butterfly into your instruction. Avoid dwelling too long on butterfly as it can be difficult and complicated for new swimmers. Do small amounts of butterfly often. Focus on short distances and limited arm strokes. It is crucial to emphasize a strong kick and hip motion. Finesse first, then power. Most problems occur when coaches teach butterfly too aggressively. Take your time. Introduce the motion first. Layer in the arms and kick, then finally breathing. Restrict full 25 swims and do them with fins first. Slowly build to more strokes after initial streamline off each wall.

Suggested sets:

• 3X streamline +2 butterfly fly arm strokes
• 3X streamline + 2 fly arms with breath on #2
• 2x 25: 2 strokes fly then fly kick rest of the 25 with fins
• 2x 25: Fly swim to ½ way with breath in even strokes. Fly kick second ½ all with fins.
• 1x 50: 4 strokes fly swim breath in 2 and 4, then fly kick in solider rest of each 25. NO FINS.
• 2x 25: Fly swim. Breaths in even strokes.

Common errors and corrections:

• Weak recovery (bent elbows and splashy recovery): Usually from a poor kick and bad timing. Fix by focusing on hips up in position 11 and hips down when pulling arms underwater.
• Excessive fatigue (arms start to sink on recovery, position 11 falters and swimmers get exhausted): Fix this by focusing on the kick. Most often swimmer is using only the arms to move. The kick should provide most of the power at first.
• Breathing looks hard (swimmer is breathing at the wrong time): The breath should happen as the arms pull water down. The face should be turning down and breath finished while the arms recover out of the water in airplane. Fix by tying the breath to the arms; arms in 11 then face in the water. Arms near hips, then be breathing.
• Muscling through butterfly using only the arms: Proper kicking and strength from the core and thighs will help make the kick stronger and be the anchor point for the rest of the stroke.

Progression:

Streamline comes before butterfly arm strokes in the suggested sets (streamline + 2 butterfly fly arm strokes). Build from short distances and limited arm strokes with fins first, then slowly build to more strokes after initial streamline off each wall, up to full 25 swims and a 50.

Short verified cues (confirmed present; check by eye): “Hips up, arms in 11”