Butterfly - Basics with Steve Haufler

Important Note to the Viewer

LESSONS: 37 VIDEOS

Introduction

Hello. My name is Steve Haufler. Ever since I started coaching—more than 30 years ago—I’ve had a passion for finding the most effective ways to teach butterfly. In this video I want to share with you the methods that have helped me teach an efficient and fast butterfly to swimmers of all ages and abilities. In Part 1, I’ll show you how to teach butterfly from on deck – without ever getting in the water. I’ll also show you how to teach butterfly from in the water. My goal is to give you a variety of ways to teach butterfly. In Part 2, I’ll share the drills, phrases, and teaching methods that I use to fix the most common butterfly stroke problems. In Part 3, you’ll find ways to teach the all-important underwater dolphin kick. And in Part 4, I’ll share my favorite drills for fine-tuning the butterfly stroke and for getting swimmers ready for top performance. My goal is to give you simple progressions for teaching butterfly…and a big bag of tricks that you can reach into, to make learning fun and to help students “get it.” After more than 30 years of teaching and coaching butterfly, I’ve found 10 things that really help and they are simple: Be patient with the learning process, use a combination of teaching methods and take it one step at a time. Get in the water to teach, keep the instructions short and simple, and swim only short distances. Know what world-class butterfly looks like so you understand the details, and be prepared to start teaching the swimmers from scratch. And…believe in yourself and your students.

Teaching Butterfly from the Deck

When teaching butterfly from the deck, I follow a 5-step teaching progression. Step 1 is to teach Body Position. Specifically, I want them to learn what I call the Butterfly Float – the landing position. Step 2 is to teach Arms, and this includes both recovery… … and pull. Step 3 is to teach Body Dolphin…and I teach head-lead body dolphin and hand-lead body dolphin. Step 4 is to teach Timing. And Step 5 is to teach Breathing. There are benefits for the coach in knowing how to teach butterfly from the deck. Aside from the obvious benefit of staying dry, the number one advantage is that your swimmers can see you better and hear you better. From on deck, you can teach several butterfliers at the same time. From on deck, it’s easier to maintain discipline and control with a group of young athletes. From on deck, you can still demonstrate technique. And, when your swimmers are out of the water, you can use positioning techniques to help them feel the correct movements. In addition, some swimmers may learn better when you’re on deck because you have better control over the learning environment and there are fewer distractions.

Step 1 - Butterfly Body Position

Step 1: Butterfly Body Position For twenty years I used to teach butterfly by starting with the kick. But I’ve found that I can get to this a lot quicker if I teach body position first, then arms, then kick. To teach body position from on deck, I start with the swimmers on deck. Have them stand with their arms extended overhead and with a natural curve in the lower spine. The head should be in a neutral position, with eyes looking straight ahead. Make sure the swimmer is not tucking the chin. Position their arms straight up over the shoulders and at shoulder width, or just a little wider. The palms should face forward -- with a slight pitch outward. The fingers should point straight up or ...with the wrist flexed a little… the fingers can point slightly to the side. Now, tell the swimmers to bring their arms back so that the shoulders are in-line with or slightly behind the ears. Don’t let them tuck the chin. If swimmers have trouble with this position while standing, have them try it lying down. Have them lie face down with the chest on one kick board and the hips on four kickboards. The feet should be hanging DOWN, with toes touching the ground. A swimmer who looks like this has a butterfly body. Next, go to the water and find that same position, with the swimmer standing on the bottom. Then, have the swimmer fall forward into the butterfly float. This is the soft landing position of the arms. This is where the arms will land on every stroke of butterfly. The landing will be soft and, during the learning phase, they’ll land in this position and pause. Have the swimmers repeat the process. Stand and get the arms in position, then fall into the butterfly float. Shoulders are in line with the ears. Arms are extended, and hands are positioned at shoulder width or a little wider. The head is in neutral. The eyes look straight down. Start by having the swimmers learn this key body position.

Butterfly Arm Recovery

Step 2: Butterfly Arm Recovery I begin teaching the recovery from a standing position on the deck. I demonstrate by starting with my hands a few inches from my sides. With my hands completely relaxed, my palms facing my legs and my fingers hanging down, I swing my arms slowly around and pause them directly overhead above my shoulders in the butterfly float position. The movement originates from my shoulders. The arms are straight, and they stay in line with the sides of my body. I guide the swimmers through the motion, like this, making sure they lift from the shoulders. I want them to feel this big, relaxed, in-line swing of the arms. Note: If they do this drill while standing in shallow water, it’s helpful to have their backs against the wall, like this. Next, I demonstrate the recovery in the flat-back position, like this. I’m looking at the ground, my hands are a few inches from my sides, and now my fingers are facing back. I demonstrate the recovery by leading with the wrists, and with thumbs down. I swing the arms around… and stop in the butterfly float position, like this. The swimmers will start in the flat-back position, with arms by their sides. They swing from the shoulders, with arms straight, and pretend to land softly in the butterfly float position. Make sure they are not lifting up or turning the thumbs up or leading the recovery with the hands. I guide them through the correct movement. If they are bent over in the water, tell them to “watch your thumbs skim across the surface.” Then, I say, “Swing your arms through the air just one inch over the top of the water.” Next, I want the swimmers to do the recovery from a floating position, starting with the arms a few inches from their sides. They do a “snow angel” recovery and move the arms from the shoulders, going the “long way around.” The starting position is with the arms straight and hands relaxed with fingers facing back, like a “flag blowing in the wind.” From this position, the arms return softly to the butterfly float position. The swimmer can practice multiple recoveries, like this, by standing up and starting over after each landing.

Butterfly Arm Pull

Step 2: Butterfly Arms Pull To teach the butterfly pull, we start standing, with arms extended in the butterfly float position. I demonstrate a vertical butterfly pull very slowly. I have them follow along, slowly. They watch and listen. “Turn your palms toward the ground; keep your elbows in the same place as you “V” into a diamond position with the hands at the level of the eyes and at the width of the shoulders.” The swimmer should pause and make sure that the elbows are higher than the shoulders… and that the palms and forearms are level and are facing the ground, and still in a diamond position. From this position, and while still standing upright, the swimmer should keep the palms facing the ground as they press the hands down and out to their sides, rounding out the exit and returning to the butterfly float position. I will physically assist the swimmers with the vertical pull and recovery. In this vertical position, I also use a kickboard to help the swimmers “feel” the correct movement of the pull, like this. Next I demonstrate the butterfly pull by starting in a bent-over, flat-back position. I then have the swimmers try this – they get in a flat-back/ butterfly float position and I assist them through the motion of the pull and recovery. I sometimes use a board to provide a platform for their hands to press against. Then, we return to the water. Start in the butterfly float position and complete a single pull and recovery, without breathing and without any other body movement, The command is: FLOAT—DIAMOND—PRESS—SWING. After they can do one correct cycle, I allow them to do two or three, but remember: without breathing.

Body Dolphin - Head Lead

Step 3: Body Dolphin (Head Lead) The best way to teach body dolphin from the deck is to have one of your swimmers who can do the skill correctly demonstrate for the learners. Remind your demonstrator to look at the bottom, keep the hands at the sides, and to do a gentle dolphin motion while completely under water. Have the swimmers go under and watch… and then immediately try it. If they need more instruction, have them come out of the water and manipulate their body… like this. Or, try the butterfly bump. Have the swimmers stand about 4 inches away from a wall, and instruct them to gently press the chest forward, just a few inches, and their bottom will bump the wall. Return to the straight-up standing position and repeat. Don’t overdo the press… and don’t tuck and lift the chin. Now, have the swimmer put on fins, and try the skill again in the water. I tell them to start the movement from the press of the chest and don’t bend the knees too much. “Dolphins don’t have knees.” They want to think of going forward.

Body Dolphin - Hand Lead

Step 3: Body Dolphin (Hand Lead) To teach Hand-Lead Body Dolphin, have the swimmers start in the butterfly float position. Use the abs and hips to start the undulating movement that will travel all the way down the body and out through the feet. Send your fingers straight forward as the hips rise. Tell the swimmers to, “Keep the toenails under water and press them down to make the hips rise up.” This will create a smooth and splash-free body dolphin. Do a number of body dolphins, keeping the hands as close to the surface as possible and not breathing, to get a good feel for the movement. Now, the next step is real important, and it is critical to this teaching progression and to the separation drill that’s coming up next. The swimmer must know how to do one -- and only one 00complete arm-leading body dolphin. FLOAT--BODY DOLPHIN—FLOAT. It helps to begin from a wall push-off. It’s a shallow surface dive, going “under a log” and coming up on the other side without scratching your back. Try it with fins. Keep practicing until all of your swimmers can do a single cycle of Float…Body Dolphin…Float. Once they have this essential skill, the next step – Timing – will be easier to master.

Timing - Separation Drill Hands First

Step 4: Timing (Separation Drill with Arms First) To teach butterfly timing from on deck, I demonstrate by starting in a flat-back butterfly float position. I show one pull – float…diamond…press…swing -- with a soft landing, then I stand up with arms overhead and do one body dolphin. I have them try just one cycle. The instructions are: FLOAT…DIAMOND…PRESS…SWING…FLOAT…BODY DOLPHIN. When the swimmer can do one cycle correctly, you may notice that they start to take out the pause between landing the hands…and pressing immediately into their body dolphin. They’re actually taking away the separation. This is a good sign. You may also notice that they begin the next pull as soon as they feel the body return to the surface. These two steps -- pressing immediately into the body dolphin when the hands land, and beginning the next pull as soon as the swimmer returns to the surface – are critical to performing multiple stroke cycles. The pull must start before the swimmer’s shoulders break the surface. The swimmer must think to pull forward to come up, and not to float up to the surface, and then pull.

Timing - Separation Drill Body-Dolphin First

Step 4: Timing (Separation Drill with Hand-Lead Body Dolphin First) Some swimmers learn better by doing a separation that starts rather than ends with body dolphin. It looks like this. The complete, one-step-at-a-time instructions are: FLOAT…BODY DOLPHIN…FLOAT…DIAMOND…PRESS…SWING…FLOAT. I demonstrate and say simply, FLOAT…BODY DOLPHIN…PULL. They get the picture. To start doing multiple cycles, the swimmer must start the pull right after they start to rise up after the first body dolphin. They must start their pull before their shoulders break the surface. You should notice that their head and shoulders will break the surface when they are about half way through their pull. As the hands press back and begin their exit, the swimmer may just naturally “punch” the second kick exactly in time with the exit of the hands. This second kick will make a small slash, whereas the first kick, the body dolphin, was splash free. During the initial body dolphin (the first kick) the chest presses down, the head will drop under the water, the hips rise, and the feet press back and downward. The second kick will be shallower than the first kick, and occurs as the head rises. You can look at it this way: The first kick occurs when the head drops under the water. The second kick occurs when the head moves forward and rises. As the arms land after the recovery, the chest and head will drop a little deeper into the water to initiate the next body dolphin. This is a good beginning butterfly without breathing. This is butterfly on “training wheels.” After we teach the breathing, we’ll come back with a way to “speed it up” and create a non-stop and continuous butterfly rhythm.

Butterfly Breathing.

Step 5: Butterfly Breathing The best way to think of breathing in butterfly is that it’s an extension of the body motion – and very much connected to the pull. I often teach butterfly breathing by telling the swimmer to breathe when they start the pull. In reality, the breath comes later in the pull, but new butterfliers need to know that early in the pull, they will be going to air. By keeping the head and neck in line with the spine, the swimmer should feel the top of the head move forward… to clear the mouth for a breath of air. As the swimmers begin the press on the water with their hands and forearms, and they feel themselves moving forward, they should know they are going for air. I demonstrate like this. I teach this by having the swimmers isolate one breath with a pull. They start in butterfly float and look at the floor of the pool. When they start the pull they should think of moving forward for air, and then return the face to the water before the arms land out front. When I teach butterfly breathing, I teach the “two befores.” I tell them, “You breathe before your arms come out of the water, and you return your face to the water before the arms land.

Teaching Butterfly from in the Water

When you teach butterfly from in the water, you give yourself – and the swimmer – several advantages. You can guide the swimmer through the correct motion right from the start. You can stop any grossly incorrect movements right away. You can go below the surface and see the exact pull pattern and how the swimmer is “feeling” the water. You can get a clear and accurate picture of the 1 priority for good butterfly: head and body position. When you’re in the water, you can demonstrate for the student, which will benefit the visual learner. When I teach from the water, I use the same teaching progression that I use when teaching from the deck. The main difference is there is less explaining and more doing. I demonstrate more and the swimmer does more swimming. When I teach from the water, I often use acrylic mirrors, which give instant visual feedback to the swimmer. I demonstrate, explain, demonstrate again, and guide them through the movement over the mirror. Then, they try to imitate what they just saw and felt. For each skill, the swimmer 1) Sees what to do… …2) Hears what to do… …3) Feels what to do… …and 4) Sees him or herself doing it. In the following sections, we’ll show a simple teaching progression that you can use when you’re in the water with your student. We use an underwater mirror for this progression, but you don’t need a mirror to make the progression work. We use the mirror to make it easier for you to see what’s happening… and so you can see how effective they are for teaching. You can learn more about these mirrors in a DVD called Go Swim with Mirrors, Tools, and Toys.

Butterfly Body Position

Step 1: Butterfly Body Position Step 1 in teaching any stroke is to teach correct body position. For butterfly, this means teaching the Butterfly Float – the position you’re in when the arms enter the water. I want the swimmer’s arms to be straight and positioned directly in front of the shoulders or just a little wider. If you’re in the water, you can push against the outside of the elbows to straighten the arms. Notice how I flatten her hands and position them to float on the surface. I pitch the thumb side down and turn the hand out just a bit. I also position her arms higher than her ears, and position her head in neutral so that she’s looking straight down without tucking her chin. I go under water to check the position of her chin. If it’s tucked down, I re-position her head. Here’s what the swimmer sees in the mirror. If she’s looking straight down at the mirror, which is where she should be looking, she’ll see that her arms are straight and forward…just outside her shoulders. She can see her palms in the mirror…they’re almost flat, with the thumb side of the hand pitched down a little. The fingers are pointed straight ahead or just a little outward. And, she can see her ears. Her legs are straight and together. You can help the swimmer point the toes and then give them a push. I tell her that when she first learns butterfly arms, she’ll pause in this position after every recovery.