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.
Parents
Former Member
If you watch the upward leg recovery between seconds 12 and 14 you'll see that the upward motion is all below the knee. If you watch the upward leg recovery between 14 and 15 you'll see that your knee starts upward as your feet finish the downbeat and your knees are basically straight through the upward movement, which is what you want. The upward movement from the knee down is contributing to your back end sinking. The no-kick fly drill from the other thread might help, if you keep your legs almost straight during the arm recovery you may get the feel for it. The longer/straighter you keep your legs during the recovery the more leverage you have to stay flat. In full stroke you do want a kick at the end of the recovery, but the key is to have it at the end when your body is already near horizontal.
If you watch the upward leg recovery between seconds 12 and 14 you'll see that the upward motion is all below the knee. If you watch the upward leg recovery between 14 and 15 you'll see that your knee starts upward as your feet finish the downbeat and your knees are basically straight through the upward movement, which is what you want. The upward movement from the knee down is contributing to your back end sinking. The no-kick fly drill from the other thread might help, if you keep your legs almost straight during the arm recovery you may get the feel for it. The longer/straighter you keep your legs during the recovery the more leverage you have to stay flat. In full stroke you do want a kick at the end of the recovery, but the key is to have it at the end when your body is already near horizontal.
