Hello, I'm a UK swimmer (41) who took up swimming following a running injury 4 years ago. A familiar scenario to many. My freestyle and breaststroke is OK and infact I do fairly well in a breaststroke set at the club.
My butterfly is like a stone in the water however. I have chatted to other members , the coach, and watched the good guys, but it does not seem to happen. I get no real leg power on a kick in, kick out rhythym for each arm pull. I know the power comes from the stomach as well as the legs and I know rhythym is important. Has anybody had any great moments of enlightenment. No amount of drill work seems to make a huge difference. Any ideas ?
Hmm, every coach I've had has wanted me to breathe every stroke in fly and BR, even in practice. But I'll try this drill.
Ahelee (or anyone), can you speak to the glide in fly? Where/when does it occur?
Thanks.
I think the "butterfly glide" comes when you're pressing your chest as the arms have dropped into the entry.
I work with a many novice swimmers who start off afraid of butterfly - like I still find myself at times.
But I have a little talk for them explaining that it is perfectly legal butterfly to dolphin kick all the way across the pool and only take a full stroke of butterfly when you need to breathe.
So think about it.
Push off the wall - SDK.
Arms out in front until you need a breath.
Then spread the hands to begin the press of hands & arms to pull a single butterfly stroke.
Let the power of the press lift your body without moving your head, just enough to to clear your chin to breathe. Keep your eyes low looking at the water right in front of you.
Finish the pull and leave the hands out in front slightly apart - dolphin kick until you need another breath and repeat.
When practicing this long gliding fly stroke and dolphin kick try to feel the chest pressing while the (straight wrist & elbow/thumbs down) arms are "floating" slightly above on the water surface.
Also, when practicing a single arm butterfly drill - breathing to the side:
Be sure that after you breath to the side, return your body to a flat, fully face down position, arm extended and press your chest to complete the dolphin body motion and arm pull.
Maybe someone else can describe this better than I have here.
I have done a lot of this glide fly to practice pressing my chest down and forward with my arms riding higher to smooth out my choppy fly.
Breathing seems to be individual, but I teach novices and use myself - 2 Up, 1 Down.
Or 2 strokes with a breath / 1 stroke without.
I need alot of air on fly except for a sprint 50 or the 1st lap in the 100 IM.
Also love the old Misty Hyman dolphin kick instruction of "kick the arms in and kick the arms out".
My problem is remembering to kick my arms out... and so my way too long legs start dragging on the bottom of the pool.
I feel funny writing about butterfly since I am sure not an expert.
Anyone can chime in here!
Ahelee - Thank you!
"Kick the arms in and kick the arms out" - probably difficult to translate mental imagery. I'll think about kicking the arms next time I'm practicing fly.
Has anybody had any great moments of enlightenment. No amount of drill work seems to make a huge difference. Any ideas ?
YouTube - How to Swim Butterfly Stroke by JimmyDShea
Hmm, every coach I've had has wanted me to breathe every stroke in fly and BR, even in practice. But I'll try this drill.
I got this drill I think from GoSwimWeekly. I breathe every stroke when I do fly, but I like this no-breath drill because it lets me undulate longer without interrupting, and lets me feel the breaststroke undulation too. Plus, for some reason I just like how it feels. I don't know if not breathing for a drill like this is a good or bad thing.
I slept through our first long course practice this morning (but I'm going over to the pool later to swim on my own, really!). This is because I keep staying up late listening to YouTube videos or reading this forum (excuses excuses).
However, in a sick way, I really like this Richie Havens song, for anyone who decides to break up with the fly: YouTube - Richie Havens - I Can't Make it Any More
I obviously listen to the wrong music, but the footage of the kids in the audience is very touching to me, and I'm thinking, did they do age-group swimming? And the baby on the mama's back, is that Pipes-Nielson (sp)? Or would that make her too old/young? Which amazing swimmer is it? Or ex-AIG excecutive?
As far as Richie's lines about "where do I belong," I'm thinking, OK, maybe the 500 free, the 1000 free (these are my best events).
Or perhaps I should listen to this song and then get angry and say no way and fight all the more to break 6:30 in the 400 IM (SCY). That's my goal. I need to make it clear I am not an elite swimmer, but I'm all for improving, and for some reason, I love the 400 IM. :)
