The Butterfly Lane

Hi there, Dan! :wave: Thanks for weighing in! You are the first person to ever point that out about my hips at that part of my stroke. I played it frame-by-frame and I now see that! I have been trying to get my forearms in, and I can't figure out why I haven't succeeded, especially since I am a natural breaststroker, and I am much better at that stroke. As for keeping a high elbow, that is physically difficult for me to do, because of the stress it puts on my shoulders. I am unable to keep them high in any of my strokes, because of physical issues I have had with my shoulders in the past that are unrelated to swimming. Today, my husband shot another video of my fly before I read your post. My goal today was to eliminate the kerplunk sound of my kick, smooth out my down kick a bit more, and try to carry my stroke more forward. Here is the result: www.youtube.com/edit In doing so, I felt like I lost even more power in my kick, so I have to figure that out. Next, I will work more on my arms! Sorry but U tube video didn't open like your first one did. I would imagine from your description that you "smoothed out the down kick" by kicking slower. In pulling hand speed determines your forward speed. In kicking free and fly the only forward motion is when the feet are bent from the water pressure on the top of the top than spring back like a fin at the end of the down kick. Try kicking harder to feel a bit more pressure on the top of the foot. The better swimmers also try to get some power from the up kick by feeling pressure on the bottom of their feet. Also when you kick faster the next kick will have harder water to press against yielding more force forward. Fish get this as their tails go back and forth. Regarding your shoulder on the pull of course injury avoidance is always #1 and everything else is a distant second. Just try as best you can and repeat this in your head as you pull: Fingers below the wrist-wrist below elbow. Only pressure on the palms pushing backwards gets you moving forwards.

Hi there, Dan! :wave: Thanks for weighing in! You are the first person to ever point that out about my hips at that part of my stroke. I played it frame-by-frame and I now see that! I have been trying to get my forearms in, and I can't figure out why I haven't succeeded, especially since I am a natural breaststroker, and I am much better at that stroke. As for keeping a high elbow, that is physically difficult for me to do, because of the stress it puts on my shoulders. I am unable to keep them high in any of my strokes, because of physical issues I have had with my shoulders in the past that are unrelated to swimming. Today, my husband shot another video of my fly before I read your post. My goal today was to eliminate the kerplunk sound of my kick, smooth out my down kick a bit more, and try to carry my stroke more forward. Here is the result: www.youtube.com/edit In doing so, I felt like I lost even more power in my kick, so I have to figure that out. Next, I will work more on my arms! Sorry but U tube video didn't open like your first one did. I would imagine from your description that you "smoothed out the down kick" by kicking slower. In pulling hand speed determines your forward speed. In kicking free and fly the only forward motion is when the feet are bent from the water pressure on the top of the top than spring back like a fin at the end of the down kick. Try kicking harder to feel a bit more pressure on the top of the foot. The better swimmers also try to get some power from the up kick by feeling pressure on the bottom of their feet. Also when you kick faster the next kick will have harder water to press against yielding more force forward. Fish get this as their tails go back and forth. Regarding your shoulder on the pull of course injury avoidance is always #1 and everything else is a distant second. Just try as best you can and repeat this in your head as you pull: Fingers below the wrist-wrist below elbow. Only pressure on the palms pushing backwards gets you moving forwards.