How to Swim: Butterfly

Body Position: Body starts parallel to the water: Prone Arms are pointed forward: Wider than shoulder width Head should be facing downwards: looking at the bottom When you initiate the stroke: the body should bend and flex like a dolphin ~ in a ‘S’ shape

Pull: Similar to doing 2 Freestyle Pulls Both hands extend in front of you when you enter the water – they have to enter simultaneously When pulling: Bend the elbow so fingers point towards the pool bottom, arm angle should be about 150 degrees Position remains the same until past the hips, where you straighten out the arms

* ‘S’ Shape of the arms for more pullingas it increases amount of water pulledjust like in Front - crawl [diagram]

Recovery: Thumbs face downward Keep your thumbs [thus your arms] just above the surface of

the water – this will decrease the rate of fatigue All this will require a full extension of the arms If you need to breath; do it during this period: Arch your body

slightly up so your chin comes out of the water ~ remember to duck your head back in the water before your hands come over your head into the pool [try to stay as low as possible]

Kicking: Kicking comes from the core of the body: the center Butterfly kick is done as 1 leg: keep the legs close to each

other 1st Step: Press the body down [the chest] onto the water 2nd Step: Allow the body to follow through: Like a whip that

extends all the way to the end of the foot [the knees can bend slightly – do not overdo it]

3rd Step: Timing: 2 Kicks done per ‘cycle’ Kick 1 – Hand first enters the water [gentle kick], Kick 2 – During the midsection of the hands [strong kick]