Getting into Fly

Syd, I try to do fly every practice too. 4 lengths of fly is about all I am good for. After a hard 25 I know exactly when the lactic acid burn hits me during my backstroke on the second 25 of an IM. The stroke absolutely kills me unless I specifically tell myself to ease up. I like your alternating fly free 25s sounds doable. Frankly my ulimate goal would be to complete a 100 fly. Just that is an achievement in my book ( I taught myself fly at age 20...) Wish me luck.

I think the challenge of the butterfly both attracts and detracts swimmers. On the attraction side, we all know it is a tough stroke, and thus being able to do it properly is a feat outright. There's something about being able to swim the butterfly that validates you as a swimmer too. Of course there are the detractors... those who *think* it is too hard, or who say their shoulders can't take it. I think most of us don't want that feeling of failure, and end up trying it at some point. Yes, it is tough, but why not challenge yourself right? Kudos to you three for giving it a whirl!

Syd, I am just beginning to make this transition. People have told me I have a nice fly, but I've never had any endurance and never did more than a 50. I have begun to really enjoy the feeling of swimming the stroke, and want to do my first 100 in competition this SCY season. I aspire to 200 sometime down the road. So I have begun to drill one arm fly and do 50s with lots of rest. I like your idea about the 25s--I think I'll try that, and build up to sets of 50s with lower intervals as you describe. If I could only avoid breathing, it would be really easy! That picking up the head thing really slows things down. I am trying to learn to breathe looking down at the water instead of straight ahead. Think that will take some time. I'll be eager to hear how you do--I'll keep an eye out for this thread.

People have told me I have a nice fly.../QUOTE] Quite. That is exactlty what my father and my coach used to tell me too. And it did feel nice - for the first 25m. It felt like I had the wind behind my back. But somehow after that the rhythm went, my butt started to sink and my shoulders and my legs started to work independently of one another. I aspire to 200 sometime down the road./QUOTE] I would love to do that too! So I have begun to drill one arm fly and do 50s with lots of rest./QUOTE] I do the one arm drills as well. One of my favourites is one a picked up from a Phelps video. It requires you to extend the non swimming arm to the front and take two strokes with the swimming arm. Now change and do two on the other side and finally finish off with two full strokes, both arms. It is quite exhausting at first but it forces you to keep that butt up otherwise you lose rhythm fast and start to sink. If I could only avoid breathing, it would be really easy! That picking up the head thing really slows things down. I am trying to learn to breathe looking down at the water instead of straight ahead./QUOTE] I know exactly what you mean. When I am really flying I am breathing with my head facing down. The higher you lift your head the more your butt sinks, the more resistance is caused and the quicker the wheels start to come off. I find breathing every two strokes helps me maintain a higher butt position and hence a better rhythm. In fact the single most important advice I could give anyone about the fly is: Don't let those hips sink! Glad to know there is someone else out there who is in a similiar position. Syd

Syd, I try to do fly every practice too. 4 lengths of fly is about all I am good for. After a hard 25 I know exactly when the lactic acid burn hits me during my backstroke on the second 25 of an IM. The stroke absolutely kills me unless I specifically tell myself to ease up. I like your alternating fly free 25s sounds doable. Frankly my ulimate goal would be to complete a 100 fly. Just that is an achievement in my book ( I taught myself fly at age 20...) Wish me luck. All I can say is: persevere. At first it feels outrageously tiring. But, as time passes, it becomes easier and easier. The improvement is almost imperceptible at first but then, after a month or so, suddenly you find yourself skipping across the surface of the pool. Then you know you have found your rhythm. Now all you need to do is to increase your distance and speed and refine your stroke. Syd

There's something about being able to swim the butterfly that validates you as a swimmer too. Now this is probably going to stimulate some lively debate so let's put it even more bluntly. Rhythm is all important in fly. If you don't get that rhythm things start to fall apart quickly. Most swimmers, even casual swimmers, can complete 50m of the other 3 strokes without too much difficulty but not so of fly. A breakdown in rhythm in the other 3 strokes will lead to a less than optimal time whereas a breakdown in rhythm in fly leads to exhaustion and total stroke failure. Therefore it can be said: fly is the most difficult stroke. Now if you want to be a real swimmer you should, at least, try to master the most difficult stroke. Which means, if you can't swim fly, you are not a real swimmer! Now don't get upset with me. Muppet said it first!;) Syd

Therefore it can be said: fly is the most difficult stroke. Now if you want to be a real swimmer you should, at least, try to master the most difficult stroke. Which means, if you can't swim fly, you are not a real swimmer! Now don't get upset with me. Muppet said it first!;) Syd Now we're talking. Definitely the most physically demanding stroke! Timing, rhythm, balance, strength ... But no 2-flys for me; I'm sticking with 50s and 100s. (Fly is a bit hard on shoulders, after all.) As to the monofin issue, Minnow, here's a thread on monofins. forums.usms.org/showthread.php. Post #4 also references a couple other fin/MF threads. I love my MF, and use it frequently. I missed it during my recent taper. I do a lot of four point dolphin kicking with it (back, front, left side, right side), do some drills with it, and do 25 shooters with it. Love those shooters. I think it helps build leg and core strength and helps with the undulation motion. My SDKs have significantly improved since I got it last December. Really helps on the backstroke starts and turns too! Of course, as non-MF Ande would tell you, you should be working on SDKs without the MF as well. Keep your head down! I find I sometimes have to look up a bit to see the finish. Do some drills -- I still do caterpillar drill, chest press fly and lots of one arm fly. Glad everyone is getting into fly and becoming addicts. Flop and pop! :bouncing:

Syd - I was like you. In high school I would refuse to swim fly. I thought that stroke was the worse thing ever invented. I have gradually grown to love it. I am going to attempt the 200 fly this year. I may not be pretty at the end but as long as it is legal then I will be able to say I did it. I always work fly sets at the end of practice. If I can do them when I am tired, I should be able to do it at a meet. Good luck to you. Thanks for the encouragement Lyn and all the best to you too. I am full of admiration for anyone who is willing to attempt 200 fly.:applaud: I managed to do a 100m in practice on Monday and again yesterday. I was tired at the end of both but was still swimming strong. Both of them were done at the end of practice. On Monday I went 1:18 and on Tuesday 1:16. I think I may just have the courage to try a set of 3 x 100 @ 3:00 in the not too distant future. See how it goes and build it up from there.:groovy: Syd

Love fly. It is beautiful to watch and to swim. To actually do it is to feel ... powerful, fast and strong ... like nothing else. I have a secret ambition involving fly - cannot utter the words yet. UTTER THOSE WORDS - and then we all know about it and we can all hold you to it and it will be just a little bit more difficult to fail!;) Syd

Syd- I know the feeling....trying to get into Fly myself. Used to swim it oh, like 35 years ago....and when it all came together it was awesome; felt like I could swim it forever. Sadly, I stopped swimming, moved on to other sports/hobbies....life etc. After multiple injuries; wear and tear on body, started swimming again a little over two years ago. Just now I can finally finish a 50 without too much stroke disintegration. Have to agree that if I did not have to breathe, I'd have the stroke down perfectly. I find I still don't have the core strength to keep it up....am thinking of getting a monofin to help with this. Has anyone else tried to use the monofin to imporve the butterfly? Well I think that Fortress uses a monofin because it helps develop core strength. Maybe she will jump in on this thread. I have never used fins myself. They aren't allowed at the pool I swim at . Back to the breathing thing: I find if my neck is totally relaxed, and I barely lift my head out of the water to breath, I can maintain a much more level body position which seems to be ideal for fly. Any jerky movements or stiff necks or too vertical a neck position will cause stroke breakdown. Syd