**Butterfly Body Dolphin:  Basic Teaching Progression**

Butterfly is a stroke that needs to be taught in pieces, with great patience, one skill at a time.  Teaching the kick first is our favorite way to approach the stroke.  Join us this week as we share a simple progression for teaching the butterfly body dolphin.

**Monday**

**Building a Better Butterfly:  Body Dolphin on Your Back**

We like to start the teaching process with the swimmer on their back, so they don’t have to worry about air and can focus completely on how their body is moving in the water.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3069-body-dolphin-on-your-back>

**Tuesday**

**Building a Better Butterfly: Kick on Your Back Hands Extended**

Step #2 is to switch from head-leady body dolphin to hand-lead body dolphin.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3073-kick-on-your-back-hands-extended>

**Wednesday**

**Building a Better Butterfly:  Body Dolphin on Your Stomach**

Now take the torso-driven body action and move it over onto your stomach.  Continue to keep the head stable.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3074-body-dolphin-on-your-stomach>

**Thursday**

**Building a Better Butterfly: Body Dolphin on Your Stomach – Hands Extended**

Learn the movement first with arms at the sides…then progress to arms extended.  Using a pull buoy, noodle, or kickboard will help.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3075-body-dolphin-on-your-stomach-hands-extended>

**Friday**

**Building a Better Butterfly: Float the Hands**

Take away the flotation, but continue the goal of “floating” the hands on the water.  Fins and a snorkel will help.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3076-float-the-hands>

**Saturday**

**Building a Better Butterfly: Use a Mini Pull**

Use a mini pull – like a small breaststroke pull – to introduce the timing of butterfly.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3077-use-a-mini-pull>

**Sunday**

**Building a Better Butterfly: Breathe Every 3 Dolphins**

The next step is to introduce the timing of the breath in butterfly.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3078-breathe-every-3-dolphins>

**Meeting summary**

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**Quick recap**

Glenn shared his experiences and insights from recent swimming events, discussing filming techniques, app development, and data collection. He provided detailed instructions on various swimming techniques, focusing on butterfly, freestyle, and backstroke, emphasizing the importance of proper body positioning, breathing, and stroke mechanics. Throughout the meeting, Glenn demonstrated and explained numerous drills and teaching methods to improve swimming performance for athletes of different ages and skill levels.

Next steps

*   Glenn to send out the newsletter by Thursday and another one on Monday.
*   Glenn to meet with developers at 8:30 PM to discuss implementing new features based on recent filming experiences.
*   Glenn to continue filming swim meets in Indianapolis and Illinois over the next 2.5 weeks.
*   Barbara to prepare for next week's session on the float-diamond-angel-swing butterfly drill.

**Summary**

**Health Challenges in Filming Project**

Glenn shared his experience of a recent filming project involving long hours in a poorly ventilated pool facility, which led to health issues including coughing and sneezing. He described using Rachel's recommendation of hot showers with steam to help clear his lungs, and mentioned he would be repeating this process for upcoming filming sessions in Indianapolis.

**Swimming Data Tagging App Demo**

Glenn demonstrated a new feature of their app that allows tagging of swimmers in race videos, showcasing data collection from 366 races over three days with 1,800 tagged events involving 9-14 year old athletes. He explained that the app's purpose is to help young athletes and coaches understand distance per cycle, which he emphasized as the fundamental skill of swimming. Glenn shared his vision for gathering unprecedented swimming data over the next two and a half weeks, with plans to collect even more data at upcoming events in Indiana and Illinois.

Swim Race Feedback and App Development

Glenn shared his experience filming swim races over the weekend, where he provided feedback to parents on their children's swimming techniques. He observed that simplifying the messaging about stroke technique improvements is crucial, as parents are eager for guidance but may not want to share this with their children directly. Glenn and his team have made progress with their app, successfully filming 366 heats in three days and developing a system for immediate video sharing after races. They plan to meet with developers later that evening to discuss further implementation steps.

**Swimming Stability and Technique Tips**

Glenn discussed techniques for improving stability and fluidity in swimming, emphasizing the importance of a relaxed and controlled kick, particularly for backstroke. He suggested using fins to practice maintaining a stable head position and highlighted the need for a gentle, whip-like motion from the hips. Glenn also noted that some athletes, like Patrick, could benefit from a more laid-back head position and less leg drive, and he shared his experience with new PDF fins that have backs on them.

**Butterfly Stroke Technique Instructions**

Glenn provided detailed instructions on proper swimming technique, focusing on butterfly stroke. He emphasized the importance of keeping hands engaged with the water's surface, maintaining a stable head position, and using the hips and legs for propulsion. Glenn also discussed the role of fins in improving technique and the need to build tension through the body line. He concluded by explaining how to transition from the butterfly stroke to a streamline position, emphasizing the goal of creating an alternate position from the natural "dead man's float" position.

**Optimizing Swimming Techniques**

Glenn discussed techniques for improving swimming performance, focusing on maintaining a stable head position and driving it forward. He used Mary Lay, a Guinness World Record holder, as an example of optimal swimming posture. Glenn also emphasized the importance of air management underwater and shared a personal story about a swimmer who significantly improved his time after using nose clips.

**Freestyle Swimming Techniques and Drills**

Glenn discussed swimming techniques, focusing on the use of air and buoyancy in freestyle swimming. He explained how swimmers hold their breath to stay afloat and maintain a high position in the water during short races. Glenn also addressed common errors in breathing technique and emphasized the importance of body position and head movement after a breath. He mentioned that Lou uses a drill where swimmers breathe every second kick to prevent diving down too deeply.

**Butterfly Swimming Technique Tips**

Glenn discusses techniques for teaching butterfly swimming, emphasizing the use of snorkel, fins, and a tempo trainer to slow down the swimmer's pace. He explains the importance of hand positioning, suggesting that hands should not be aimed downwards as it creates resistance. Glenn also describes exercises to improve hip undulation and body positioning, recommending that swimmers keep their feet from breaking the water surface to engage more of their core. He critiques the breathing technique demonstrated in the video, noting that the breath is not well-connected to the timing of the stroke.

**Swimming Drills and Technique Overview**

Glenn demonstrated various swimming drills using different tools like kickboards, noodles, and buoyancy devices, emphasizing the importance of control and precision in swimming movements. He explained how different buoyancy levels affect the body's position and the need for exact timing when adding breathing to drills. Glenn highlighted the importance of rhythm and proper breathing techniques, warning against holding breath for too long and using hands too much in certain positions. He also discussed the need to focus on driving movement from the hips and chest rather than relying on leg power alone.

**Butterfly Stroke Technique Training**

Glenn discussed teaching butterfly stroke technique, focusing on the timing and body position. He emphasized the importance of starting with basic drills like the "mini stroke" and explained how to achieve proper hand and chest positioning. Glenn also addressed a philosophical question about whether to allow young swimmers to compete in butterfly with incorrect technique, arguing that it's better to focus on teaching proper form before competitive pressure.

**Swimming Drill Adaptations and Techniques**

Glenn shared his frustration and excitement about teaching swimming drills, emphasizing the importance of adapting techniques for different age groups. He discussed the "circle of life" concept, where drills for children can be applied to adults, and highlighted the effectiveness of certain drills like the "float, diamond, angel, swing" for butterfly strokes. Glenn also shared insights from a recent swimming competition, praising innovative techniques used by young swimmers and emphasizing the value of teaching proper breathing and stroke mechanics. The group agreed to focus on butterfly drills in the upcoming session.


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July 22, 2025 - Butterfly Dolphin Kick: Basic Teaching Progression