The Butterfly Lane

It seems like your second kick (when you recover your arms) is delayed, so that your down kick happens too close to when your arms re-enter the water. Ande, is this correct? Check out this video for comparison: http://youtu.be/qI8i3_7Tqtw Edit: John, I have watched your video several times and I'm trying to figure it out... Perhaps it's the too-bent knees, especially on that second kick, that makes it appear to me that the timing is off; like they are occuring too close together. And, the too-bent knees are causing your hips to drop and ride too low in the water. Hey, flyers, help me out here. Am I on the right track? yes, I see that my knee bend is too much and my kick is too much out of the water. I feel like my first kick (hand entry) is too late and my feet are already too close to the surface when it occurs and this seems to keep my hips from coming up at that point... I just need to figure out the proper thing to focus on ...I tend to have too many flaws that I'm trying to correct at once. Thanks for all of the help here!!

It was weird watching John's video and James' video back to back like that. Two very different approaches to fly... John's timing and knee bend seem okay to me but I'm curious to see what faster turnover looks like for John. I've been told a lot that I need a faster turnover / qiucker catch and pull. I try but it seems very hard to increase turnover...not sure why? I know I need to keep the hands softer and not crash them in. Any suggestions for increasing turnover?

Kick faster. Decrease amplitude if necessary. will give it a try...thanks!

I just did a 2:20.40 for my SCM 200 Fly today in Bend, Oregon (at 3800 ft. of elevation). 4 second drop and I'm very happy. :banana: The swimming world time converter tool says this is a 2:05.80 in SCY. 12-10-11 200 SCM Fly - Bend, Oregon - YouTube Way to go, James! :cheerleader:

Way to go, James! :cheerleader: Thanks Elaine. Hard work does pay off!! :applaud:

I just did a 2:20.40 for my SCM 200 Fly today in Bend, Oregon (at 3800 ft. of elevation). 4 second drop and I'm very happy. :banana: The swimming world time converter tool says this is a 2:05.80 in SCY. 12-10-11 200 SCM Fly - Bend, Oregon - YouTube I think its only 3400 feet sorry. But I was in the next heat so I watched your swim, it was a good one!

I think its only 3400 feet sorry. But I was in the next heat so I watched your swim, it was a good one! Thanks!! Everyone at that meet that completed one of the 3 Pentathalons, or even the Brute Squad events did a good job!! :applaud: :bow: to them!! Wikipedia shows it at 3623... en.wikipedia.org/.../Bend,_Oregon The coach of the Bend Masters team is the one that told me that at the pool surface level it was measured at just over 3800 feet. I'm sure those cell phones out there have some sort of app. that could do that. My phone only makes phone calls. :)

For the last couple of days, I have been trying Julie Bradshaw's style in the pool. Here is a Youtube video: it is a promo spot for a swimming treadmill but it gives a good closeup of her butterfly starting at about 1:33. Dr. Julie Bradshaw MBE training in her Endless Pool - YouTube It seems to be a relaxed pace of about 27 cycles per minute with two kicks per cycle. For the "soft" entry, she appears to add a sculling motion with her hands for about a quarter to a third of a second before beginning to pull. I looked at footage of her Manhattan swim and saw the same hand motion. When I tried this in the pool, it slowed things down enough for me to keep going. I had been struggling with soft hands so might this be a good approach? I am still working on it. What do people think about this little sculling motion? Disclaimers: My current ability level is a fair 50 and a haggard 100 with no hope of completing a legal 200. I only want to swim legal/fitness butterfly and am not concerned about pacing at this point. Okay, I secretly want to last 500 yards so I can join the Butternuts.

...with no hope of completing a legal 200. Well, less than a week later and I made it. The little sculling motion helped, but mostly it was mentally forcing myself to slow down and go easy early on. I was totally gassed by the end of the 200 but I see a path forward to take it out to 500 yards. Anyway, I am amusing myself. :blah:

Do you need to train fly to swim it fast? I mainly train freestyle and do some fly sprinting, 25's & 50's but rarely further. I did my fastest fly & IM times in college with almost all freestyle training. Now I train a much higher volume of fly, mainly because that's how I'd rather train. It's Masters, do whatever you want! :banana: