Butterfly is a style of swimming on the chest, while swimming a sportsman performs simultaneous and symmetrical movements of left and right parts of the body. Using both hands, a swimmer makes a powerful stroke, in the performance of which the upper part of the body is lifted above the water while performing symmetrical kicks “from the pelvis”.
Arm Motion
Hands in this style of swimming are the main driving force. All arm movements can be divided into three main phases: to yourself, from yourself and return.
• The hands in the starting position are stretched forward, placed shoulder-width apart and immersed into the water. At the same time palms are turned slightly downwards and outwards, and after that arms are put to the sides, performing a stroke.
• In the next phase arms are divorced to the sides and bent at the elbows so that the bend angle reached 90 degrees, the movement of the wrists happens downwards and reaches the line of the hips. The speed and strength of arm movements grows by this moment, then the elbows are straightened and hands are almost adjacent to the body.
• In the final phase of the return hands are relaxed and brought to the surface of the water so that firstly appear the elbows, and then wrists. After that arms are carried forward with quick motion, at the same time arms should be totally relaxed and straight and immersed into the water at shoulder width apart, coming back to the starting position. The first to touch the water should be wrists, then the elbows.
Legs and Torso Motion
Legs in butterfly swimming style perform movements that are very similar to the movements of other styles of swimming.
The movements of the legs and body are undulating; a smooth movement begins from the shoulder and ends with the feet. The legs move symmetrically and it involves a large number of muscles.
When the feet make a strong shot on the water from above, the back of the swimmer comes to the surface. When the legs move up with force, the head of the swimmer appears on the surface in order to perform inhalation.
The best moment to inhale is when the hands are above the water surface and the body has a comfortable curved shape for inhalation.
• An inhale should be short. It is made by mouth and lasts only about 0.4 seconds
• An exhale is long and it is done slowly over the time which is spent on the implementation of the entire row cycle
Traditionally, in this style of swimming the start is made from the stand.
While immersing into the water, a swimmer glides under the water, performing undulating movements by body and legs and giving a rest to the arms.
When turning back, a swimmer must touch the rim with one hand first, then with his feet, and then with the other hand. At the same time the swimmer's body is immersed in water as much as possible.
Using the feet kicks, a swimmer pushes off the side of the pool and continues to swim to the other side.
The Coordination of Movements
The most effective method would be using two feet kicks. At the entrance of hands into the water and capturing the water the first kick is carried out by the top of the feet, and the second feet kick occurs simultaneously with the end of the arm stroke (Swimming).
Works Cited
Swimming. “Butterfly stroke technique”. Swimming. 24 November 2014. Web. 2 May 2016
