What it takes to learn butterfly?

Question

i've been swimming for the past 3 months and i've learned breaststroke, freestyle, and back. But maybe i learn a little too fast so my stamina is not there yet. I can go 2-3 laps with breaststroke at once but only half a lap on freestyle and i'm dead. I think backstroke is stupid because i literally hit my head really hard once and got a lump. My coach says that i'm not ready for butterfly now because i can't even finish a lap on freestyle. So when should i learn butterfly?

Answer 1

Ive been swimming for five years and well. First of all Back stroke usnt stupid. Your just not doing it right, thats why you hit your head. Once you get close to the end of the lane count how many strokes it takes untill your an arms length away from the wall. Then flip and go back. If your consistant with your speed and strokes then this should work . its what i do. And as for butterfly. If you ask me its the hardest of all. It takes all your strength to do it. Thats why i dislike relays. Just dont rush into it. I agree with your coach. If you cant do half a lap with freestyle, you wont last 5 seconds in butterfly! Personally, I think freestlye is the easyst. You just need way more upper arm strength and leg strength. Really, I suggest waiting another 3 months before butterfly. Probably alot longer. Sorry.

Answer 2

Butterfly is all about timing and strength. It's a sprinting stroke, and requires lots of practice. The fly kick beat is "big kick, little kick". It takes coordination and a LOT of strength to get your arms out and around for the arm recovery. When not breathing, keep your head low in the water; it's easier to get your arms out and around. The underwater motion is an "S" curve".



Something that may help your freestyle stamina (for now) is to try swimming with flippers on. You can concentrate more on the mechanics of your stroke, while not worrying about sinking to the bottom of the pool! Flippers are also a great help in learning the timing and fundamentals of butterfly.



With backstroke, make sure that you are keeping your head and chin straight and still. The rest of your body should be rolling to the right or left (depending on which arm you are pulling with). Use the pool flags, and count your strokes to the wall. The wall was always about 4 strokes in for me.



Good luck! Remember, swimming is ALL PRACTICE! Practice a lot, and you will get better quickly!



'Hope this is helpful to you....

Answer 3

I agree with the other guy about back crawl, it can be a really fast stroke if done correctly, as long as you keep momentum up with your arms and get into a rhythm. As far as hitting your head goes, i either know how many strokes it takes before i have to turn or just count how many strokes it is after the 5m flag before the wall. If you don't have a flag up i would suggest when the rings go red on the lane rope or tip your head all the way back to see the wall. As far as fitness goes it sounds like your right, you've picked up all the strokes and aren't very fit, you might be tiring yourself out with poor technique, with butterfly i agree it is a night mare, you need so much power to even do 50m, i swim 6 days a week for my university and have swam in nationals and i am yet to even bother with butterfly, it takes a lot of muscular endurance and stamina, i think your coach is right with not teaching it you yet, i would step your training up to a couple more times a week if possible just to get your fitness up and in 4-6 months maybe see what he says then. Hope this helps

Answer 4

You can do butterfly if you can do breast stroke.

Try this, start with breast stroke swim and then slowly convert the components into butterfly.

So for example. Swimming breast stroke and then rather than returning your arms for the breast stroke pull, Fully bring the hands all the way to your hips like the butterfly swim..

Do that a whole lap over and over.

Then after you do that.. Repeat, but this time, after bringing the hands to your hips, bring them back right after you do it.. Make sure you YOUTUBE the proper form.

Then after you do that, switch it.

So this time swim breast stroke again, but leave the hands in breast stroke, but turn the kick to butterfly.



Then switch back again.

Breaststroke kick, butterfly hands.



When you got the arms strong enough, which you probably already do got.

Then you can convert both into butterfly.



The trick to doing proper butterfly is your head lead.. Don't rush your arms. Make sure you do the head first thing. Do youtube to figure out what that means.



Bob bowman says it about Michael Phelps' swim, THE HEAD LEADS THE HANDS.

Head up before arms out the water.

Head down before arms enter the water.