Butterfly Drills
When doing drills, the main focus should be
breaking the stroke down and perfecting it. Don't rush drills -- good technique
is the important factor.
Blind Drill
(25's @ :20 rest)
This drill works with all strokes and checks your position in the water
as well as helping maximize swimming effort. Many people swim with a very
uneven stroke that pulls to one side which reinforces bad habits and creates
an imbalance during the swim. BE CAREFUL OF OTHERS IN YOUR LANE! Let them
know what you're doing ahead of time.
- Find out how straight you swim with your eyes closed and limited breathing.
Start very easy. If you are able to swim straight without running into
the lane line, pick up the speed.
- Sight-breathe one or two times per length to check how straight you
are swimming. Try not to lose your rhythm as you sight.
Butterfly 3+1 Drill
This drill works on the recovery of the arms.
- Do 3 dolphin kicks and 1 arm pull. Keep the arms parallel to the surface
of the water. The entry of the arms should be shoulder-width with the goide
at the top of the stroke.
One-Arm Fly Drill
This drill is good working fly kick timing and allows you to get the
feeling of the fly stroke with relatively little stress. You can create
variations: two right-two left; two right-two left-two full.
- Leave the left arm extended in front of you. Pull butterfly with the
right arm. Do a dolphin kick as the right arm is finishing the stroke and
another as it enters the water.
- Now leave the right arm extended and pull with the left arm. Continue
the laternating pattern. Breathe to either or both sides (as in freestyle).
Short Axis Drill
This drill encourages you to use your body in the breaststroke and butterfly
and to get used to releasing the arms from all of the responsiblity of moving
you along. It's also good anerobic training because you will not be raising
your head to breathe during the cycle.
- Give a gentle push off the wall or bottom to get a little momentum
going. Stay balanced in the prone position with your arms back at your
sides.
- Push downward into the water with your chest, allowing your head to
relax up to the surface. Don't dive your nose into the water.
- Allow your hips to follow your chest down into deeper water. This will
begin to force yoru chest back up to the surface. The legs will follow
the hips and you will get a little forward movement. DO NOT KICK! Allow
your legs to follow you through the water.
- Your body will begin to rebalance, so get ready to start the process
all over again. Do this drill with constant rhythm through the core of
ytour body and don't hesitate during the cycle.
- You are not going to go fast in this drill. In fact, you'll go very
slowly. So focus on mastering the technique. Then in another part of the
practice, think about the drill as you practice breaststroke or butterfly.
Three-stroke Switch Drill
This freestyle, backstroke, or butterfly drill helps with balance, and
in the case of freestyle, bilateral breathing. Concentrate on a steady,
strong kick as you do this drill
- Extend the left arm straight out n front of you and hold it there.
Take three strokes with the right arm.
- Roll your hips, then extend the right arm straight out and take three
strokes with the left arm.