Butterfly - Drills

Important Note to the Viewer

LESSONS: 34 VIDEOS

Butterfly - 2nd Kick Focus

For more videos featuring the butterfly kick, click here - https://gosw.im/2Is3j2t Developing a solid second kick in butterfly for age groupers gives them a complete stroke to build on. Why do it: Thinking about kicking the hands in almost isn’t necessary as it’s more instinctual and the natural flow of the stroke, but thinking about kicking the hands OUT takes more focus. This second kick helps fly the hands into the recovery and keeps the swimmer moving forward. How to do it: We’re going to turn to our local expert, Patrick Park, the current Arizona State University 200 fly record holder (now post-grad) and how he learned it. Thanks Pat! 1 - Start with fins to make it more dynamic. 2 - Push off and glide a bit to get ready for the kick. 3 - Initiate the pull and with exaggeration set up a BIG KICK as the hands finish the pull through. 4 - Allow the hands to land forward without any additional kick. 5 - Glide for a bit then repeat. How to do it really well (the fine points): You’re switching what is natural for most, so take your time and start slowly. Use big exaggeration for the second kick, allowing the feet to come out of the water and even too much knee bend. This drill is about breaking the instinct and potentially building a new one. Start to remove the pause out front and use a more natural butterfly rhythm. Don’t worry if younger swimmers still kick the hands in, it’s natural and trying to remove it may add additional confusion. Eventually, take the fins off and start the process over. Take out the glide and slowly build the rhythm back in without fins... until you’re swimming pretty fast fly with two fairly equal kicks.

Butterfly - Teaching a Smaller Kick

For many more videos on the butterfly kick, follow this link When you have younger swimmers who are driving the stroke from the kick, here is one process that may help. Put on some fins but tell the swimmer NOT to kick. The fins will keep some propulsion going with the increased surface area without allowing the legs to just drag. Put the swimmer through a series of descending 25s, requiring a minimum time on each one. With the swimmer increasing the intensity of the swims, continue to remind the athlete to focus on the hands, head, chest, and hips... NOT the legs. Eventually, at least with our swimmer, the 2nd kick becomes to come back in as the speed requirements become greater, but the kick still isn't overly bent. Again, this is just an idea that helped this swimmer limit the kick, and keep the focus on the front 2/3rds of his butterfly.

Butterfly - Second Kick

To swim really fast butterfly. You have to take advantage of every opportunity for propulsion. The place that most swimmers ignore this opportunity is the second kick. Misty Hyman in her video said it best. I kick my hands in and I kick my hands out. The focus on the second kick helped her to an Olympic gold medal. But how many of us are going to be swimming like Misty OK. Probably only a couple people over the world in the next few years. But it shouldn't mean we all can't take advantage of what she does to make ourselves faster. Why do it: Learning to use the second kick him butterfly better will help you achieve your fastest speed. How to do it: We're actually going to incorporate three drills into one but focusing on the hips and the feet. This is a cool thing about drills even though they're initially created to solve one problem. They can usually be used to focus on a few. The drills will be using our single-arm butterfly. Butter free. And then leaving the wall with a strong underwater dolphin into two strokes with no breathing. To really work on this. We're going to do 75s. On the first lap, the swimmers perform single on butterfly focusing their attention on the second kick or kicking their hands out of the water. By using only one arm. The swimmers are able to accomplish this without having their strokes fall apart. The next 25 is butter free, a mixture of freestyle arm strokes with a dolphin-like body movement. This again allows the swimmers the opportunity to focus on the second kick rather than struggling to the other end. This drill begins to better introduce more rhythm into the mix. Finally, the last length in the 75 starts with the swimmers performing 4 underwater dolphins. This is to make sure they're focusing on their feet and then go directly into two strokes with no breathing focusing their attention on the second kick or kicking their hands out. How to do it really well, the fine points: Allowing the swimmers to spend much of their time drilling rather than swimming gives them the opportunity to really pinpoint where that second kick needs to come in. This is as much a mental exercise as a physical one. For those swimmers who have worked on developing a single kick fly so they can swim and easier 200. It's fine to be able to accomplish something but swimming is still about fitness and swimming fast in order to reach one's potential. A second fly kick is usually needed. While there have even been some great swimmers who've done tremendous things with a single kick, the majority of champions use a second kick, so it's worth working on. When you're really having a tough time implementing this, here's an easy little trick that should work well for you. Using stretch cords will require that you use the second kick or you simply won't make it to the other end. Sure it's a bit tougher. But you can see that when our swimmer uses a small second kick she doesn't make it. By using the larger second kick she not only learns to swim faster but accomplishes a goal in practice which makes her feel good after the pain subsides.

Turns - Slow down to go faster

The ultimate fast turn isn’t for everyone. While we tend to only focus on how to achieve the fastest rotation, or spend the shortest amount of time on the wall, that may not be the fastest way to finish your race. Why do it: Who would this be for? Think of young swimmers and masters swimmers who are attempting a 200 butterfly for the first time. While it’s not the fastest turn, we have to remember, the ultimate goal is finishing comfortably and with good form. One way to do that is to NOT swim so much. How to do it: 1 - Practice your breaststroke or butterfly turn the way you normally do, staying very low and tight. 2 - Now start to slow down. 3 - Try various speeds, looking to discover the perfect balance between getting enough air for a great push off, and not stopping on the wall! 4 - The goal of a slower turn is to get more air for a better push off. 5 - When you’re approaching the wall, think about making sure all of your air is out, so you can completely fill your lungs with air prior to the push. How to do it really well (the fine points). For this plan to make ANY sense, you HAVE TO HAVE A GREAT PUSH OFF! You can’t have a slow turn AND a short push off. You’re sacrificing the quickness of the turn to get more air so you can spend more time in your underwater dolphins or a proper underwater breaststroke pull. Turn slower but be AMAZING on your push off!

Butterfly - Eyes Up

For more videos focus on butterfly eye position, click here. Sometimes teaching great butterfly means keeping the swimmer shallow rather than pressing deep. Why do it: A shallow press on butterfly can help to increase your rate by creating less amplitude in the stroke, plus it can help build the ability to breathe on every stroke. How to do it: 1 - Have the swimmer look slightly forward as the hands enter the water. 2 - When the body rises on the recovery of the stroke, have the swimmer lift their eyes just above the surface on ALL strokes, breathing and non-breathing strokes. How to do it really well (the fine points): The goal is to create the most similar stroke possible, whether you’re breathing or not. It’s also to make sure you’re not diving the head down into the water so far that it takes you too long to come back up. Try to create a rhythm with the stroke, and a head position that allows you to feel like you’re bouncing the chest down the pool. Enjoy.

Butterfly - Building Underwater Dolphins

During our travels, we get the opportunity to work with many teams. This past week in Lexington Kentucky, we visited the Swimchester Sailfish and saw a simple progression for developing better underwater dolphins. Why do it: Teaching proper underwater dolphins at a young age gives an increased potential for any swimmer. How to do it: 1 - For this nine year old swimmer, they start with single-arm extended dolphin kick with the breath being taken to the side when necessary. 2 - Using short, cut-off fins, the swimmer makes a slightly better connection through the entire body. 3 - Move the swimmer underwater to a streamline position for her next series of underwater. 4 - Vary the tempo and amplitude until a flowing body dolphin begins to appear. How to do it really well (the fine points): Make sure the swimmer has a "target", or breakout point so she doesn't go too far. After a while and some testing on rate, remove the fins. Repeat this drill frequently and make sure the swimmer is connecting the chest and hips, and not just kicking from the knees down. We love watching the youngest swimmers understand and build these processes. This young swimmer was most impressive. Great job by all!

Butterfly - Breakout Practice

Watching many swimmers over the past couple weeks, we will continue to focus on breakouts. Why do it: Making sure you're transitioning great speed from your underwater dolphins, into forward momentum into your swimming, can have a huge impact on your overall speed. How to do it: 1 - Start from a start, to get the MOST velocity possible. 2 - Work out with your coach the number of dolphin kicks you are productive with. 3 - The number of kicks should allow you to become very close to parallel to the surface just prior to your first stroke. 4 - Take two strokes without breathing, and shut it down. How to do it really well (the fine points): Most of your head will be above the surface on the breakout, but your face will still be in the water. Imagine you're surfing your face on the surface, as you want to avoid creating too much resistance with your head on your breakout. Take the time to practice this specific point, so you can identify the details, rather than just assuming thinking about it during training is enough.

Butterfly - Triple Kick Breakout Practice

Throwing in an extra kick to your butterfly can teach you a lot about how important keeping the head down on your breakouts is. Why do it: Most of the time, you only get one opportunity per length to work on your butterfly breakout, this drill allows you many opportunities. How to do it: 1 - Start with a solid pushoff, and a great head down breakout. 2 - After your first stroke, go back underwater for three dolphin kicks. 3 - Approach the surface for your stroke like you would on your breakout. 4 - Repeat How to do it really well (the fine points): Don't go too deep after your stroke, you're trying to learn how to merge your body with the surface, not explode up and over it. Alternate a stroke of no breathe, with a breathe. See if your body goes a bit out of balance during the breathing stroke. If you're feeling awkward, or your legs dragging on the breathing stroke, then you know you may need to keep the head down, even on the last breakout of your 200 fly. If you can work a smooth breath into the alternating strokes, there may be the option to breathe on the breakout, but ONLY after you've really mastered it, and worked out the details with your coach. While many would say this is a bad option, IF the swimmer can maintain better velocity in the underwater dolphin, but then needs air immediately, the best combination must be found by the team of coach and swimmer.

Butterfly - Short Release

This focal point will be pretty much imperceptible to the naked eye, but the feeling to the swimmers may be a game changer for some swimmers. Why do it: When some, especially young, swimmers are swimming butterfly, they may tend to get stuck during the recovery. This simply trick will help the hands exit, into the recovery more easily, keeping the focus of butterfly out front where it belongs. How to do it: 1 - Swim butterfly like you normally would, only, as you get near the finish of the pull, allow the hands to release to the sides, rather than push to the back. 2 - For some swimmers, coaches will need to tell the swimmer to go to the recovery when the hands get under the chest. The over-teaching method will make the swimmer feel like they've lost their power, by feeling like they're taking half-strokes, but the recovery will be much easier, and can smooth out the stroke. How to do it really well (the fine points): This is really about helping swimmers understand that by trying too hard, by pushing too deep backward in the butterfly pull, they can get stuck in the recovery. By releasing the hands earlier, or sending them out to the side on the exit of the stroke, the hands will fly low, and over the surface. This can also help increase tempo for swimmers who are having a tough time, as well as conserve a bit more energy for swimmer who are starting to swim 200s. Watching our swimmers, it's tough to tell the difference between a short release, and their standard stroke. It's a matter of an inch or two in the back of the stroke, but can make the recovery so much easier, it's worth experimenting with.

Butterly - No Breath Breakout - with Commentary

A short video breaking down the good and, not so good aspects of how our swimmers are performing their breakouts. One example could appear as a mistake, but is actually a great breakout. Another example could appear to be a great breakout, needs some work. Viewing from both above and below are always necessary when working on technique.

Butterfly - No Breath Breakout

A short video intended for coaches to share with their swimmers while explaining the butterfly breakout. Don't take a breath on the first stroke of a butterfly length. Direct your energy forward.

Fly with Flutter Kick

Looking to overload your fly just a bit more? Here’s a stabilization exercise that overloads both the front and back of your butterfly. Why do it: This drill forces you to connect early with the catch as you’ll need to depend on the pull to help lift you out for air. How to do it: 1) Swim regular butterfly, but with a flutter kick instead of a dolphin kick. 2) Don’t allow the natural undulation of the hips, and the flutter kick will help stabilize them. 3) Focus on the early catch to help lift your forward and up to air. How to do it really well (the fine points): Keep the flutter kick consistent, don’t allow any hesitation to come in, as that will encourage you to use your hips more. Also focus on staying low as you move yourself to air. This is a very advanced drill, and many swimmer may be unable to do this correctly. If you’re having a tough time, try hanging out a little longer in the glide position out front to prepare for the pull to air. Also keep your midsection tight while you go to air.