Hey, I just did a lap of butterfly!
Ok, 4 lengths, but let's split the difference and call it a lap. ;)
Back when I used to compete, I never did figure out the butterly. It was my only slow stroke. Just never got the rhythm down.
So when I started training again in September, I stuck to the other 3 strokes. Tried fly and didn't remember it at all. Couldn't do it. Not even a single stroke.
Anyway, I'm reading Mastering Swimming and there's a section in there on how to learn fly, starting with pulsing, then pulsing with kicking, then pulsing and kicking with sculling, then adding the complete pull.
In one week, I learned it. Today I did my first full length!
The trick was to find the point where the breath starts. Once I realized that I had to come up when I was both in the power phase of the pull and on a down kick, the rest worked itself out because I had done the exercises that Montgomery and Chambers described, so my body was doing what it should be doing once I found that sweet spot where my pull and kick were coordinated, and it was automatic from there.
Of course, I was splashing like a puppy in a bathtub, and I got tired pretty quick, and got a little cramp in my leg, so I know I need to do some major work on my form before I can incorporate fly into my regular workout, but hey, now I can do the stroke!
Thanks, Jim and Mo!
Parents
Former Member
In fly , do not forget to glide after the pull & arm recovery !
That's the one point that Jim and Mo stress the strongest, gliding after recovery. They bring it up several times.
We'll see how it goes at tomorrow's workout.
To be honest, yesterday my only thought was "OMG, I'm actually doing this!" ;) That, and trying to get an overall feel for the rhythm of it.
They recommend a drill for beginner butterflyers, doing one stroke on 2 kicks, then no stroke with arms out front for 2 kicks. That's to short-circuit the temptation to do the pull like backstroke where there's no glide at the top of the stroke.
So tomorrow I think I'll go back and review the pulse and scull exercise, then swim a lap or two with the full stroke to remind myself how it feels, then do that drill for a few lengths.
In fly , do not forget to glide after the pull & arm recovery !
That's the one point that Jim and Mo stress the strongest, gliding after recovery. They bring it up several times.
We'll see how it goes at tomorrow's workout.
To be honest, yesterday my only thought was "OMG, I'm actually doing this!" ;) That, and trying to get an overall feel for the rhythm of it.
They recommend a drill for beginner butterflyers, doing one stroke on 2 kicks, then no stroke with arms out front for 2 kicks. That's to short-circuit the temptation to do the pull like backstroke where there's no glide at the top of the stroke.
So tomorrow I think I'll go back and review the pulse and scull exercise, then swim a lap or two with the full stroke to remind myself how it feels, then do that drill for a few lengths.
