Tips to correct the most common mistakes in Butterfly

Body position

Butterfly differs in body position from other swimming styles. In a Butterfly, the body makes an undulating movement up and down, reminding us how a dolphin moves. During pull and kick, an athlete should not excessively descend under the water and rise out of the water, and this will lead to a sizeable frontal resistance in the water. Less water resistance will allow you to swim faster and use less power.

What reasons can cause the incorrect position of the body?

The work of the arms and legs is not synchronised and is done separately
Late breath during the return of the hands
Bad footwork
Arms and legs sink very deep under the surface of the water
Pelvis dropped very deep throughout the pull or kick
During the stroke, rotation of the body to the right or left side

Wrong:

Here’s what to do instead

The whole body of the swimmer as a whole moves along a wave trajectory
The wave movement begins from the head through the chest. It is transmitted to the middle part of the body and the pelvis, and then from the pelvis to the hips, legs and feet
Body angle of attack can vary from – 20 degrees to + 20 degrees during the Propulsive phase and Recovery phase of the pull

Correct:

Tips:

While gliding, do not relax your back; this will help you to be in a streamlined position

While gliding, looks down and extend your arms in front to create less resistance

Keep your pelvis close to the surface of the water; this will help you to stay in a streamlined position

Breathe

Inhalation is the primary and essential element in a dolphin. The most important thing is to inhale as quickly as possible, so it’s not affected the movement of the arms and legs. A good breath will help you float better and, prevent muscle fatigue, allow you to swim long distances.

What reasons can cause the incorrect position of the breath?

During inhalation, high position of the head above the surface of the water
During exhalation, the low position of the head underwater during exhalation
Inhalation is very late and begins when the arms are already crossing the line of the shoulders
Exhalation above the surface of the water
Inhale and exhale only through the nose

Wrong:

Here’s what to do instead

Head rises from the water and begins to inhale. The chin is at the water’s surface, and the face is directed forward
The inhale ends after the first half of the sweeping of hands over water. Then the head is lowered face into the water, and the hands complete the recovery
The athlete exhales through the mouth and nose and continues throughout the rest of the cycle

Correct:

Tips:

While inhaling, inhale as quickly as possible

Pull

The arm stroke in the dolphin is the main element for moving the body forward. An essential role in the stroke is played by the physiological capabilities of the swimmer, the length of his arms, the strength of the arms and the coordination between the body and legs. With a good pull with your arms when swimming butterfly, you will be able to increase the speed by up to 70-80%.

What reasons can cause incorrect movement of the pull?

During the pull phase, the elbow is facing down
During the stroke, the palms are facing down
Stroke with straight arms
Arms open wide during entry
Alternately movements of the arms during pull or recovery
The pull ends at the navel line or earlier

Wrong:

Here’s what to do instead

During the pull phase, hands are swept slightly, and arms are bent with the hand and forearm the leading, supporting movement relative to the elbow. Before reaching the shoulder line, arms and forearms change direction movements, move inward-downward-backwards
When the arms cross the shoulder line underwater while the palm and the forearms are facing backwards, the swimmer continues a strong pull with the head and torso moving out of the water
The arms, continuing a powerful backward movement, gradually straighten in the elbow joints. Make an end of the pull behind the hips line
In the final part of the pull stroke, the hands move back and out for recovery
The recovery phase of arms begins with the shoulder and elbow coming out of the water, sweeping through the sides forward with straight, relaxed hands, while middle fingers enter first, with a slightly high elbow above the water

Correct:

Tips:

Butterfly recovery movement is performed with a sweep through the sides forward with straight, relaxed hands, and the shoulders slight rise above the water. Make a quick recovery

By the end of the phase recovery, the hands are rotated with the palms down, and the elbows should be turned so that the fingers touch the water first

The arms should stretch out in front of the body above the water surface

During the pull, keep a high elbow

Kick

The main task of kicking is to balance the work of the arms, torso and legs so that the body is in a streamlined position for as long as possible. The streamlined part of the human body in the water allows you to minimise the resistance in the water and achieve maximum speed. Do not forget that steady and rhythmic kicking helps you to move your body forward and will help the quickly return your hands above the water.

What reasons can cause incorrect movement of the kick?

Very deep kick
During kick very wide open legs
During a kick, the knees sink deep down
During the catch of water, the feet are above the surface of the water
Flutter kick or Breaststroke kick

Wrong:

Here’s what to do instead

All up and down movements of the legs must be simultaneous
During the kick, the feet slightly turned inward
When the shins and feet approach the horizontal position, the pelvis and hips begin to rise to the water’s surface. Further, the pelvis and hips go to the water’s surface, legs quickly straighten in knee joints and, with acceleration, perform a whip down movement

Correct:

Tips:

The Propulsive phase (kick-down) is considered completed. The moment when the buttocks appear on the surface of the water and the legs straighten entirely in the knee joints

Kick steady and fast

Tips to correct the most common mistakes in Butterfly

Body position

Breathe

Pull

Kick

Stroke correction