Motor Skill Analysis: Swimming the Butterfly Stroke
Assignment 1 (Revised)
Analysis
Preparatory
Deep Breath
Begin in prone position (face down in the water)
Body flat and parallel to water surface (not under water)
Arms reaching in front of the body
With arms, elbows, wrists and fingers extended, the hands should lay one on the
other
Legs should be fully extended at the knees and ankles
Toes should be pointing away from the body
Execution
Arms and legs work together and move at the same time
Each time the arms come down into the water, the legs kick, synchronized
Exhale with face in the water, Inhale out of the water when arms are raised
Both arms move simultaneously in the same direction
Palms are open and face down, arms shoulder width apart, fingers spread apart
Wrists are slightly bent toward the body
Arms push downward, below the body, coming to the water surface at the waist
Arms and wrists should rotate so the palms are facing away from the body
Arms out of the water should come around, above the body, over the head
Still fully extended, the hands should meet in the middle of the imaginary
centerline in front of the head and body
Legs should be fully extended (as in the preparatory stage)
Thighs tight together, both legs moving as if one, performing the “Dolphin Kick”
Raise the hips high to the water surface
Hamstrings (upper leg) should be parallel to water surface
Fully extended knees should have the lower leg angled downward in the water
(The combination of the last two should create an “S” of the legs and trunk)
Bend the knees, bringing the lower legs up as the upper leg drops down (“V”
shape)
Thrashing the legs downward back to full extension raises the upper leg back to
surface
Each stroke of the arms and kick should begin and end at the same time,
synchronized
Follow Through
After each cycle, return to the preparatory phase to glide on momentum
Repeat the cycle as needed
Cues
1. Breathe! Face up- in, face down- out. Blow bubbles, don’t drink the pool water.
2. Drive with the arms- Pull through the water pushing downward to the hips.
3. Dolphin kick- pretend you have a dolphin’s tail, kick with the thighs, then from the knees.
4. Be a Spring- contract as you bring arms down and legs bent, then spring and glide
5. Glide- Soar through the water like a torpedo.\
Activities
Glide(Can be done at any grade level with confident swimmers)
Begin against the wall of the pool. Duck under the water facing away from the wall. Contract body (be a spring) and push off with the legs while extending the hands and arms in front of body aligning with the center line of head. Try to glide to the other side of the pool, then face the other direction and repeat glide.
Dolphin Kick (Difficult maneuver, preferably for middle-high school levels)
Begin in same position as the glide drill. Duck under the water and push off to begin the glide. This time, only glide half as far as last time. Lift head out of water and bring arms to your side with your hands against your legs. Begin the “dolphin kick” and try to maintain your head in the water as you travel to the other side of the pool (or desired distances), raising the head out of the water to manage breathing. The dolphin kick can also be performed with kickboards or other floatation device to assist in buoyancy.
Resources
butterfly stroke. [Art]. Retrieved April 8, 2009, from Britannica Student
Encyclopedia:
Pankratov, D. (2007, June) Swimming butterfly educational video. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd4qTl6cOck&feature=related
Stott, M. J. (n.d.). How to Swim a Winning Butterfly. (Vol. 49, 5th ed.). Richmond, VA: Swimming World.
Seifert, L., Delignieres, D., Boulesteix, L., & Chollet, D. (2007). Effect of expertise on butterfly stroke coordination (Vol. 25, 2 ed., pp. 131-141). Journal of Sports Sciences.
Assignment 1 (Revised)
Analysis
Preparatory
Deep Breath
Begin in prone position (face down in the water)
Body flat and parallel to water surface (not under water)
Arms reaching in front of the body
With arms, elbows, wrists and fingers extended, the hands should lay one on the
other
Legs should be fully extended at the knees and ankles
Toes should be pointing away from the body
Execution
Arms and legs work together and move at the same time
Each time the arms come down into the water, the legs kick, synchronized
Exhale with face in the water, Inhale out of the water when arms are raised
Both arms move simultaneously in the same direction
Palms are open and face down, arms shoulder width apart, fingers spread apart
Wrists are slightly bent toward the body
Arms push downward, below the body, coming to the water surface at the waist
Arms and wrists should rotate so the palms are facing away from the body
Arms out of the water should come around, above the body, over the head
Still fully extended, the hands should meet in the middle of the imaginary
centerline in front of the head and body
Legs should be fully extended (as in the preparatory stage)
Thighs tight together, both legs moving as if one, performing the “Dolphin Kick”
Raise the hips high to the water surface
Hamstrings (upper leg) should be parallel to water surface
Fully extended knees should have the lower leg angled downward in the water
(The combination of the last two should create an “S” of the legs and trunk)
Bend the knees, bringing the lower legs up as the upper leg drops down (“V”
shape)
Thrashing the legs downward back to full extension raises the upper leg back to
surface
Each stroke of the arms and kick should begin and end at the same time,
synchronized
Follow Through
After each cycle, return to the preparatory phase to glide on momentum
Repeat the cycle as needed
Cues
1. Breathe! Face up- in, face down- out. Blow bubbles, don’t drink the pool water.
2. Drive with the arms- Pull through the water pushing downward to the hips.
3. Dolphin kick- pretend you have a dolphin’s tail, kick with the thighs, then from the knees.
4. Be a Spring- contract as you bring arms down and legs bent, then spring and glide
5. Glide- Soar through the water like a torpedo.\
Activities
Glide(Can be done at any grade level with confident swimmers)
Begin against the wall of the pool. Duck under the water facing away from the wall. Contract body (be a spring) and push off with the legs while extending the hands and arms in front of body aligning with the center line of head. Try to glide to the other side of the pool, then face the other direction and repeat glide.
Dolphin Kick (Difficult maneuver, preferably for middle-high school levels)
Begin in same position as the glide drill. Duck under the water and push off to begin the glide. This time, only glide half as far as last time. Lift head out of water and bring arms to your side with your hands against your legs. Begin the “dolphin kick” and try to maintain your head in the water as you travel to the other side of the pool (or desired distances), raising the head out of the water to manage breathing. The dolphin kick can also be performed with kickboards or other floatation device to assist in buoyancy.
Resources
butterfly stroke. [Art]. Retrieved April 8, 2009, from Britannica Student
Encyclopedia:
Pankratov, D. (2007, June) Swimming butterfly educational video. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd4qTl6cOck&feature=related
Stott, M. J. (n.d.). How to Swim a Winning Butterfly. (Vol. 49, 5th ed.). Richmond, VA: Swimming World.
Seifert, L., Delignieres, D., Boulesteix, L., & Chollet, D. (2007). Effect of expertise on butterfly stroke coordination (Vol. 25, 2 ed., pp. 131-141). Journal of Sports Sciences.
