Tips to swim faster in butterfly stroke

 

The key to achieving a more effective butterfly stroke

It's fun to watch children learn to swim butterfly. Because of their motor limitations, there are some movements characteristic of this stroke that are more demanding on young swimmers than on older ones. It's common to see these developing champions trying to move their arms too quickly, which causes their upper limbs to break the surface much sooner than they should. Their effort is admirable, but they won't be able to swim the butterfly well until they've mastered the entire sequence of movements required to perform this stroke correctly.

The butterfly stroke begins with the arms stretched out in front of the head, separated by a distance greater than shoulder-width apart. The movement of the arms must be continuous and simultaneous, so it requires strength and power to perform. Strength is most significant during the start of the stroke because the position of the arms with a certain break at the elbows represents a position of power.

Imagine this: You've been in the pool for a while, and despite the water's incredible warmth, you can't wait to get out and get some sunshine. You can use the ladder to exit the pool, but it's on the other side. You will have to exit at one end of the pool as you choose not to swim out. You lift yourself up by placing both hands on the outside of the pool floor.

The movement you just performed is the same as the start of the butterfly stroke. If you simulate this movement, you will be able to see that just before you pull yourself up, your arms should be straight as you build momentum to lift yourself up. If you take that image and place it in a horizontal position, this will be the same as the start of the butterfly stroke .

Why is this position so important?

If we review the subject of the resistance that water can exert on the swimmer's body and the influence of drag forces on his movement through the water, we can reach the conclusion that the more arrow-shaped the athlete's body is, the more he will be able to reduce the effects of these forces on his anatomy.

Drag forces are the swimmer's number one enemy . Specifically, those generated from the front, while the swimmer is in full motion. Because of these forces and the constant battle that swimmers wage against their effects, swimming may be the most technical of all sports. As we already know, water is approximately 800 times more viscous than air. For this reason, the drag forces that reduce the speed of swimmers come into play at much lower speeds than in any other sport practiced on land. Due to this fact, in order to swim fast we must learn to reduce the effects of these forces as much as possible.

There are three types of drag forces: friction, pressure resulting from drag, and drag generated on the surface of the water. Multiple investigations have shown that these three forces can contribute significantly to the deceleration of a swimmer in the water. In any environment, including water, the effect that drag forces exert on an object is directly proportional to the shape of that object, the texture of its surface, and twice its speed of travel. But, although it is impossible to eliminate the effects of these forces on our bodies, there are ways through which we can reduce their influence . Below are some of them.

One of the most effective ways I know to reduce the effects that drag forces can have on our bodies when swimming is to keep our bodies as aligned as possible, for as long as the swimmer is in the water.

A curved body shape is more affected by drag than a straight body. However, some degree of curve is necessary in our bodies to increase the amount of propulsion we can generate while swimming. For example, in the undulating motion during the butterfly stroke, it is extremely important that we bend, but not bend, our body too much. Too much bending of the body or the extension of any of our limbs outside the area covered by our body will have the tendency to significantly increase the effects of drag forces. To achieve this effectively, we must build a strong abdominal section.

Another way we can counteract the undesirable effects of these forces is by keeping our head aligned with our back . By doing this we not only reduce frontal friction, but we also reduce the friction or drag that is generated when we move on the surface of the water. Believe it or not, there is less friction underwater than on the surface. This is simply because when we are submerged we eliminate the friction that the surface of the water exerts on our bodies.

The friction we encounter on the surface of the water is equal to twice our speed of movement , so, to reduce its effects, during the execution of the butterfly style, our main objective should be to have the head below the surface at the point of greatest movement.

In the grand scheme of things, achieving the body position that allows us to move efficiently through the water is a skill that comes with a lot of dedication and attention to detail. For the butterfly stroke, the same guidelines apply. If you want to swim fast, your body should be lean, characterized by a well-formed midsection that gives rise to a strong, undulating motion that expands as it passes through the hips and legs. All of this should be possible while keeping the body as straight as possible during the moments when the swimmer is not generating propulsion.

If you've watched the world's top butterfly swimmers, swimmers like Kristof Milak, Chad Le Clos, and Michael Phelps, you'll notice that they have markedly different strokes, but solid and similar fundamentals. Although it may seem impossible, you too can swim butterfly like these three great athletes, but you must be meticulous about perfecting your technique, putting in as much time as necessary to bring your skill level up to that of an expert. I guarantee you won't regret it.

How do you know if you're doing it right?

There are precisely two moments when a swimmer can tell that he is placing his arms correctly at the start of the butterfly stroke. These two moments contribute greatly to preparing the elbows for the pull phase. With proper head position, both visual cues or signals are within the swimmer's range of vision.

The first moment is when the swimmer's hands are in front of his head. At this moment, you can see if the hands are correctly positioned in their ideal position, a little more than shoulder-width apart. The other moment when we can discern the correct position of the arms is when the swimmer flexes his elbows. It is at this moment that you can see if the hands follow an inward trajectory. But, you must concentrate so that you can detect these moments and enter the water smoothly. This will allow you to flex your elbows more easily and perform an effective pull and a powerful first butterfly kick .

Conclusion

Many people think that the butterfly stroke is the most elegant of the four swimming strokes, despite the fact that it is the most complicated. It takes time and a lot of effort to master some technical aspects of butterfly swimming. The one that will provide you the greatest propulsion is the breaststroke, but it is only one of those components. You will have the chance to become a superb butterfly swimmer if you put in the time required to learn all of its foundations.