Butterfly looks brutal but it is mostly timing. The kick, the pull and the breath, broken into pieces you can actually learn.
Butterfly has a reputation as the hardest, most exhausting stroke. The truth is that most of the exhaustion comes from fighting the timing rather than a lack of strength. Get the rhythm right and butterfly becomes smooth, almost bouncy. Here is how to build it piece by piece.
Butterfly is driven by two dolphin kicks per stroke cycle. The kick comes from the core and hips, not the knees. Practise it on your front with arms extended, feeling the wave move from your chest down through your legs.
The arms move together. Reach forward, catch the water, and press back towards your hips in a keyhole shape, then recover over the surface with relaxed arms.
Push your chin forward just above the surface to breathe, not up high. Lifting your head too far drops your hips and stalls the stroke. Breathe every two strokes to start, dropping to every stroke only once the rhythm is solid.
Swim it in short bursts at first, 4 x 25m with full rest, focusing on rhythm not distance. Butterfly rewards timing over effort every time.
Bella is the swimmer behind Elite Swimmer HQ. An Aussie who grew up obsessed with the pool and raced butterfly, she writes the guides, gear breakdowns and technique tips she wishes she had read sooner.
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