Hi everyone. I have been swimming for three months now after starting to swim for the first time in a while.
My best stroke so far (yet the most exausting) is the butterfly. I have lowered my 100 time (SCY) to a 1:07.08 just recently. I am really trying to drop it down lower than a 1:03.50 at my championship meet on tuesday.
My splits have been about 30 38 or 29 39 for the two 50's. Although it seems like a big drop in time i feel like if i can kick more on the second 50 (my legs often drag behind because i forget to kick when im tired) i should be able to pull it off.
Does anyone have any other suggestions on how I can improve my chances?
Richard Quick used to say that the fastest swimmers were the ones who slowed down the least over the course of the race. Butterfly is especially problematic because when you get tired, your stroke can really fall apart.
Long term, I think the most important thing is to get stronger.
Short term, for your meet on Tuesday, I would try to think about 3 things -
1) stay flat - try to keep flat and long in the water in the last 50 - especially the last 25. Many times when people get tired swimming butterfly, their arms shorten and knees bend and their stroke becomes more vertical. Use your legs to keep your body flat in the last 50.
2) breathe - butterfly would be much easier to swim if you didn’t have to breathe, but restricting your breathing in the first 50 will really affect the end of your race. It is important to breathe enough on the first 50 that it does not significantly affect your second 50.
3) splits – you do have a fairly large gap between splits, but you will need to go 29 or so to go a 1:03. I always try to work the 3rd 25 and then give whatever is left in the last 25.
Good luck in your race
Richard Quick used to say that the fastest swimmers were the ones who slowed down the least over the course of the race. Butterfly is especially problematic because when you get tired, your stroke can really fall apart.
Long term, I think the most important thing is to get stronger.
Short term, for your meet on Tuesday, I would try to think about 3 things -
1) stay flat - try to keep flat and long in the water in the last 50 - especially the last 25. Many times when people get tired swimming butterfly, their arms shorten and knees bend and their stroke becomes more vertical. Use your legs to keep your body flat in the last 50.
2) breathe - butterfly would be much easier to swim if you didn’t have to breathe, but restricting your breathing in the first 50 will really affect the end of your race. It is important to breathe enough on the first 50 that it does not significantly affect your second 50.
3) splits – you do have a fairly large gap between splits, but you will need to go 29 or so to go a 1:03. I always try to work the 3rd 25 and then give whatever is left in the last 25.
Good luck in your race
