This may be a repeat, sorry, but I think it deserves some more discussion. I was a "mediocre" (B team) high school swimmer. I swam the 200 I.M. and the 100 butterfly, pretty much because that was what was left for me to swim. In 1967 you could change your kick in the high school butterfly, at the begining of a pool length. So I swam the first 75 yards dolphin kick (one kick only) and did the last 25 yards with the frog kick (again, only frog, no small dolphin kick). Now I am 55 years old, returned to swimming in September 2004, after doing no swimming since 1968. I train three times a week with a group of masters with a coach (I do swim on my own a couple of days more. Our practices last about an hour with an average 2,000 meters total. I swim mostly freestyle and occasionaly will swim the 50 meter butterfly at a meet. Somehow I am now doing the double kick dolphin kick and gliding more at the end of each cycle, which my coach says is bad, but which I do because if I don't, I'll slip fast into a butterstruggle. One of these days I went back to my old one dolphin kick only and no glide at the end of the cycle and swam faster for 25 meters in practice. Then I figured I could do it at a meet and swam 50 meters long course using this method. I practically died at the flags doing the last 7 meters in weird shape and form. The guy with the stopwatch asked me if I was okay, and I said, yes and slowly got out of the pool and recuperated. I just went into extreme oxygen debt and/or fatigue, but 50 meters (?), nothing dangerous or harmful could or would happen. Okay, I know I should go to a pool with a stopwatch and do time trials of the different strokes I am able to perform. I will do that. Here is my question, for longer distances and in my case for the 50 yard or meter long or short course butterfly: give me input on three options please: 1- get into better shape and do the one dolphin kick all out butterfly with no gliding, 2- do the two kick dolphin kick with gliding but make it more efficient, and 3- practice and perform the butterfrog with gliding (as shown here in a video) and make that my only method of swimming the butterfly. Thanks for any input, especially tips on how to make the frog and glide more efficient, or make the two kick dolphin kick more efficient with less gliding, or how go get through a 50 meter butterfly without dying in the last 10 meters, billy fanstone
Billy Fanstone:
I think you have to determine what is best for you. My impression of what you explained is that you have a weak dolphin kick for something over 40 meters as you explained. I am not sure if you learned to swim fly using the butterfrog method. At lot of people in the 1950's learned to swim that way and they feel very comfortable with that style. It sounds like you learned the current style of fly and reverted to the butterfrog as a survival means of finishing the race and being verticle instead of horizontal. I see a lot of masters swimmers swim like that because they don't break stroke and actually finish faster than if they swam it the butterdolphin method. Also, the higher the distance like 100 and especially the 200 the more butterfrog to avoid butterstruggle.
I think it comes down to rhythm and timing of the arms and legs in the stroke. I would say that conditioning and practice would be very helpful like swimming butterfly every day and doing dolphin kicking to improve that area. To answer you question I like a combination and elimination of your points 1 and 2. Get in better shape, do two dolphin kicks without gliding. I have never seen a butterdolphiner do any gliding because it would disrupt the rhythm and timing of the stroke. I have seen butterfrogers do it because its natural and does not disrupt timing and rhythm of the arm and leg motion.
I would you say you could resort to option 3 and swim the butterfrog if you feel that you cannot master the technique of the rhythm and timing of both the arm pull and dolphin kick for distances of 100 and 200 meters. I think people in masters are real lucky to have this option because as of now no other swimming organization allows you to swim the butterfrog style.
Billy Fanstone:
I think you have to determine what is best for you. My impression of what you explained is that you have a weak dolphin kick for something over 40 meters as you explained. I am not sure if you learned to swim fly using the butterfrog method. At lot of people in the 1950's learned to swim that way and they feel very comfortable with that style. It sounds like you learned the current style of fly and reverted to the butterfrog as a survival means of finishing the race and being verticle instead of horizontal. I see a lot of masters swimmers swim like that because they don't break stroke and actually finish faster than if they swam it the butterdolphin method. Also, the higher the distance like 100 and especially the 200 the more butterfrog to avoid butterstruggle.
I think it comes down to rhythm and timing of the arms and legs in the stroke. I would say that conditioning and practice would be very helpful like swimming butterfly every day and doing dolphin kicking to improve that area. To answer you question I like a combination and elimination of your points 1 and 2. Get in better shape, do two dolphin kicks without gliding. I have never seen a butterdolphiner do any gliding because it would disrupt the rhythm and timing of the stroke. I have seen butterfrogers do it because its natural and does not disrupt timing and rhythm of the arm and leg motion.
I would you say you could resort to option 3 and swim the butterfrog if you feel that you cannot master the technique of the rhythm and timing of both the arm pull and dolphin kick for distances of 100 and 200 meters. I think people in masters are real lucky to have this option because as of now no other swimming organization allows you to swim the butterfrog style.
