Butterfly is probably the closest we get to swim like a fish. Given the anatomical difference between us and fish (we have arms and legs and a distinct lack of fins) it is therefore hardly surprising that butterfly is one of the most difficult strokes to learn and to do well.
The key to butterfly is to get the swimmer’s body movement synchronised and fluid. The body should be making a smooth flowing continuous ‘S’-shaped movement through the water, rather like a fish swimming on its side, complimented by an effective arm movement.
Taking the body first, the head enters the water and the swimmer then uses the stomach muscles to move the head back to the surface. As the upper body rises the legs take a downward movement, creating a strong forward movement. With the arms by the swimmer’s side this is the ‘dolphin’ stroke and the swimmer’s usual introduction to the butterfly.
For the full butterfly, hands and arms complement the body’s movement by reaching forward over the water, the hands entering the water first as the head goes down and then pull back, scooping the water underneath the body as the downward movement flows through the body, hips and legs. The hands also move in a fluid ‘S’ shape, entering the water with arms outstretched ahead of the head, hands in front of the shoulders and palms facing the swimmer, ready to catch the water. The hands are pulled back, cupping the water, moving outwards and then inwards as they pass the chest and stomach, before moving outwards again and leaving the water at the hips.
Butterfly can be the most daunting stroke for swimmers to learn. To be effective, butterfly requires good timing between the arms, body and legs, effective movement so that the ‘fish’ movement is sustained, and a powerful kick to get the upper body out of the water for an intake of breath and an effective entry and pull through.
If that all sounds a bit daunting then relax! Butterfly is an amazing stroke to watch and even better to master, and anyone can do it. When developing your butterfly stroke the following tips will help:
• As with all strokes, close your fingers to cup and pull as much water as possible.
• Keep the arm stroke narrow. It is much harder, and consequently less efficient, to pull the arms back when they are outstretched.
• Breathe on every stroke; breathing in on the recovery part of the stroke (head out of the water and arms moving forward) and breathe out towards the end of the pull part of the stroke (head in the water and arms pulling back).
• Legs should be close together, moving as one, to maximise the forward momentum gained towards end of the stroke when the legs push down.
• Unlike front crawl and back stroke some movement of the legs at the knee is required but this should not be excessive.
When learning butterfly it can be challenging to get the momentum going. It can be helpful therefore to start the stroke from a push from the side of the pool or from a shallow racing-style dive (where depth and skills will allow).
Finally, it’s important to to be as relaxed as possible so that the movement of the body is fluid. Therefore try not to be nervous about the mechanics of the stroke and build up the stamina required over time. Butterfly is not a stroke that you’d see when lane swimming or in a casual session as it can cause a lot of splash and needs space, so to develop and practice butterfly it might be a good idea to join a swimming club or even consider private lessons.