Butterfly is a difficult stroke to swim as it needs both stamina and style.
The movements you need to make, however, are not difficult because you will have done many of them before in other strokes.
Check out Hickman's fly moves!
One thing you need to know if you want to race butterfly is that your arms must come out of the water on every stroke.
They must not drag through the water when they move from your hips to the entry position.Under and over with the arms
Both of your arms work at the same time and keep moving throughout the stroke.
Put your hands in the water in front of your shoulders and push towards your feet.
When your hands reach your thighs, lift them out of the water and throw them back to the start.
Sounds easy doesn't it?
Well, it can be if you make sure that you are pushing hard as your hands reach your thighs.
This will help them to fly out of the water.Look forward to breathe
You need to keep your head in the water all of the time, except when you need to breathe in.
If you lift your head up at other times it will be almost impossible to get your arms over the water.
The easiest way to breathe in is to push your chin forwards so that your mouth comes out of the water. It is best to do this when your arms are almost at your thighs. Getting the order right.
If you do not do everything in the right order your stroke will have no style. Try this:
The keyhole pull
Think about the shape of a keyhole - this is the shape
you are trying to make with your hands.
Once your hands are in the water, bend your elbows and pull your hands out, then in and then past your hips.
Keep your hands pushing towards your feet all of the time.
When you lift your arms out of the water it is best to keep them as near to the water as possible. Throw them over the water wide and low.
Explode the air out
You will already have realised that there isn't much time for breathing in. You can make the most of this by breathing out hard just before your mouth comes out of the water.
It is now time to get everything moving in the right order. Try this:
Kick
Pull the arms Kick Throw your arms over Breathe every stroke Remember, try to improve one bit at a time.
The movements you need to make, however, are not difficult because you will have done many of them before in other strokes.
Check out Hickman's fly moves!
One thing you need to know if you want to race butterfly is that your arms must come out of the water on every stroke.
They must not drag through the water when they move from your hips to the entry position.Under and over with the arms
Both of your arms work at the same time and keep moving throughout the stroke.
Put your hands in the water in front of your shoulders and push towards your feet.
When your hands reach your thighs, lift them out of the water and throw them back to the start.
Sounds easy doesn't it?
Well, it can be if you make sure that you are pushing hard as your hands reach your thighs.
This will help them to fly out of the water.Look forward to breathe
You need to keep your head in the water all of the time, except when you need to breathe in.
If you lift your head up at other times it will be almost impossible to get your arms over the water.
The easiest way to breathe in is to push your chin forwards so that your mouth comes out of the water. It is best to do this when your arms are almost at your thighs. Getting the order right.
If you do not do everything in the right order your stroke will have no style. Try this:
- Kick your legs down as your hands go in
- Kick your legs down as your hands come out
- Head down when arms go over the water
- Keep head down until arms are near thighs
- Breathe in quickly
- Remember to try to improve one bit at a time.
The keyhole pull
Think about the shape of a keyhole - this is the shape
you are trying to make with your hands.
Once your hands are in the water, bend your elbows and pull your hands out, then in and then past your hips.
Keep your hands pushing towards your feet all of the time.
When you lift your arms out of the water it is best to keep them as near to the water as possible. Throw them over the water wide and low.
Explode the air out
You will already have realised that there isn't much time for breathing in. You can make the most of this by breathing out hard just before your mouth comes out of the water.
It is now time to get everything moving in the right order. Try this:
Kick
