Head-up dolphin kick drill

... I think you guys are making it too complicated. Just one stroke and 2 kicks from the shoulder. I agree with geochuck, it is too easy to over think butterfly. Keen observation (of yourself and others), along with patience and practice, will take you a long way. I feel that I am steadily nailing it more and more often in my fly practice, but right now I actually swim over 600yds of fly per day, 4+ days per week. As long as I’m really enjoying it, like I am now, I’ll keep at it. Drills are great aids, especially if cutting your times is important, but I feel there is no substitute for just doing the whole stroke. This is especially true for an athletic feat like butterfly where timing and finesse are so fundamentally critical. I may look up a bit as I set myself for the pull, but I wait till the last possible moment to lift my head and breathe, otherwise it kills my forward momentum. I pretty much never feel any “natural balance while breathing” in fly, not consistently, not yet anyway. Keeping a streamlined position while breathing is by far my most difficult task in fly. I’ve not tried this “head up dolphin kick drill” yet either, but I really appreciate this thread, it is good food for thought.

... I think you guys are making it too complicated. Just one stroke and 2 kicks from the shoulder. I agree with geochuck, it is too easy to over think butterfly. Keen observation (of yourself and others), along with patience and practice, will take you a long way. I feel that I am steadily nailing it more and more often in my fly practice, but right now I actually swim over 600yds of fly per day, 4+ days per week. As long as I’m really enjoying it, like I am now, I’ll keep at it. Drills are great aids, especially if cutting your times is important, but I feel there is no substitute for just doing the whole stroke. This is especially true for an athletic feat like butterfly where timing and finesse are so fundamentally critical. I may look up a bit as I set myself for the pull, but I wait till the last possible moment to lift my head and breathe, otherwise it kills my forward momentum. I pretty much never feel any “natural balance while breathing” in fly, not consistently, not yet anyway. Keeping a streamlined position while breathing is by far my most difficult task in fly. I’ve not tried this “head up dolphin kick drill” yet either, but I really appreciate this thread, it is good food for thought.