AnnaRose's Learn To Swim

•Butterfly kick is called dolphin kick this involves keeping your legs together at all times.

•The movement for dolphin kick begins in the thighs and moves downward to the end of the foot, then back up using the hips (see diagram).(The motion used in breaststroke is similiar to this.)

•It is very important that your legs stay together and that the movement is not restricted to below the knees.

•Hip movement is the most important aspect of swimming the butterfly stroke.

•Once you feel your kick is correct, practice kicking with a kickboard without the fins.

The Stroke

•Once the dolphin kick is mastered you can begin to integrate the arm movements.

•Be sure to start your butterfly with a tight streamline to begin stroking.

•When pulling, your arms should be slightly bent at the elbows while you push the water back behind you.

•When your arms have pulled to about your waist, begin the stroke by lifting your arms out of the water.

•In butterfly, your arms come out of the water straight and at your shoulders.

•Your arms should go out and around and eventually reach forward when entering the water.

•Your arms should enter the water in front of you.

•It is important not to throw your arms downward into the water, but let them simply enter the water and begin pulling again.

•The arms for butterfly stroke require a great deal of upper body strength, so do not get discouraged if you feel tired after a few strokes or are unable to lift yourself completely out of the water.

Breathing

•You take a breath while mid-stroke to breathe for butterfly.

•It is recommended by the Red Cross that you breathe facing forward but many swimmers opt to breathe to the side. It's up to you!

•It is important to keep your chin close to your chest when you breathe so you do not slow yourself down.

•Once again, sufficient arm strenght will allow you to lift yourself out of the water enough to breathe.

Final Words

•I recommend using fins again to practice the butterfly stroke in its entirety until you are strong enough to swim several laps without the fins.

•Butterfly takes a lot of practice. Don't give up!

•It is best to work on learning new strokes with a qualified instructor under life guard supervision. Working with a swimming instructor is the safest and best way to learn to swim.