Main Body
4. Fundamentals – Breaststroke & Butterfly
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is another popular form of swimming. This stroke requires you to move your arms in half-circular movements while the legs whip kick. Some describe this motion as a frog-like swimming stroke, and it is appealing to those beginning because one’s head is out of the water a larger percentage of the time. However, in order to be competitive, some may argue this stroke requires significantly more fine-tuning than the freestyle stroke.
To perform the breaststroke:
- Body Position: Keep you body flat and lie facing down in the water. Your head should follow your hands into the pool.
- Arm Movement: Your arms should mirror each other as they move.
- Outsweep: Catch and scull palms out.
- Insweep: Bring you arms to your chest and keep them out in front of the chest.
- Recovery: Kick your arms out and glide. You should pause with your arms outstretched in a streamline position during your glide.
- Turn your ankle out
- Bring both your legs around and together, and glide with your toes pointed.
- Keep your kick as narrow as possible.
- Breathing: Your breath should be completed and head should be entering the water by the start of your insweep.
Watch the instructional video below by former UGA & Olympic Swimming Coach Jack Bauerle about tips on how to perform the breaststroke.
Butterfly
The butterfly stroke has the most unique style due to its symmetrical arm movement accompanied by a dolphin kick. The butterfly stroke is arguably the hardest to perform, and it requires the most fine-tuned technique and strength. In the butterfly stroke, you are kicking in the way that a mermaid or dolphin would. When swimming with multiple people in a lane, use only your right arm (keeping your left straight), until you pass others and have the entire lane to complete the full two-arm stroke.
To perform the butterfly:
- Body Position: Try and keep your body as close to the surface of the water as possible.
- Arm Movement:
- Catch: Your arms should be extended in front of your body and led into the water by the thumb. Be sure to press down and out at the same time.
- Pull: Your hands should be pulled towards your body in an hour glass motion, out-in-out. Keep your elbows higher than your hands.
- Recovery: Once your hands reach your thigh, simultaneously sweep with arms over the water and accelerate them forwards, returning to the start position.
- Leg Action: Your legs kick simultaneously with a powerful and more distinct knee bend, commonly referred to as the dolphin kick.
- Breathing: The most common breathing technique is to the front.
Watch the instructional video below by former UGA & Olympic Swimming Coach Jack Bauerle about tips on how to perform the butterfly.