I recently bought an underwater video camera, and have recorded my first videos.
Here is a clip of my butterfly. (It's my worst stroke, but I'm a sucker for doing things in IM order. Plus fly videos seem to be the hot topic at the moment.)
YouTube- Butterfly 10-02-19
I knew that video would be great feedback: the few times I have seen an above-water clip of myself, I have been astonished to see things I was unaware that I was doing. But underwater video is even better.
Flaws I can see:
hands move too close in front?
too much glide/pause in front?
stroke not flat enough: too vertical during recovery
first kick (with hands extended) is too late?
first kick (with hands extended) is too hinged at the knee
I'm uncertain about my own diagnosis, though, and would welcome other opinions.
Also, since my timing & stroke actually feel fairly smooth to me while swimming (very different from how it looks), I'd love to hear about drills or key attention points that can help me focus on the changes I need to make.
I don't have anything with a side view, but I can certainly record some.
I'll also pay attention in the pool to see if I'm leading with my elbows, which is certainly not a cue that I ever think about (unlike staying flat, looking forward, wider entry, etc)
Do you have any video shot from the side? I find it easier to judge fly technique from side-view video. Actually, it's ideal to have video from multiple angles. It's possible that your breathing is a little late, but it's hard to tell... You do have a fairly broad outsweep, which is not necessarily a flaw but potentially slows down your turnover.
The largest error I see and a side view would better confirm this;
you lead your stroke with your elbows which is a significant problem and not an easy one to correct. Ask your coach to watch for this and they'll give you some drills and exercises that can help correct this. Good luck, Coach T.
I've been working on the same issue and found that simply pressing the hips earlier allowed me to reduce the pause/out-scull at the front of the stroke. So, I press the chest and start the pull and then quickly release the chest/press the hips which gets my torso oriented for the upward trajectory and breath and arm recovery. My "aha moment" was shifting from trying to lift the front end using my arms to pressing the back end. "Pressing" your hips also seems to help with recovering the legs from the hips rather than from the knees.
Some people think about it as starting an undulation at the head or shoulder, but still using core/torso muscles instead of with the arms. Solar describes it as looking where you will breath, i.e. leading with the head.
Anyway, if the above makes any sense to you, it might be worth experimenting with.
Thanks, Ande.
I can tell from watching videos of Phelps, Cavic, etc that I need to start my pull sooner & wider, and eliminate that glide in front. When I try it, though, it feels almost physically impossible. Maybe I just need to get stronger, but I'm also hoping some timing changes will magically "unlock" the leverage I need somehow.
Also: should that glide/pause in the front disappear at all distances? Or does the more relaxed pace of a 200 fly involve some brief glide while streamlined, as in breaststroke or distance free? (Not that this is an excuse -- the video was definitely not at 200 pace.)
The other thing I've found helpful is practicing the immediate catch and pull while doing one-arm fly.
The only caveat is that you have to be careful not to substitute rotating to the side for the breath for undulating to the breath. You'll know you've probably done this if it works great for one arm but not two arm!
Good luck!
