Low Swing Recovery
Butterfly arms swing round low and relaxed with thumbs down and little fingers up – the recovery that swimmers can sustain.
- Stages
- Stage 6, Stage 7
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Skills
- Butterfly Arms
- Equipment
- None, Short Fins
- Age
- 9–99 years
- Group size
- 1–12 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
What it develops
- Butterfly with two-kick rhythm and forward breathing
- Efficient butterfly for a short distance
How to run it
- Standing, practise: arms push past the hips, then swing out wide and low, little fingers up.
- Swim single-arm fly focusing on the swing.
- Then two strokes full stroke.
- Keep the arms relaxed and just clear of the water.
Teaching cues
- Swing low.
- Little fingers up.
- Relaxed arms.
Make it easier
- Standing or walking practice.
- Short fins.
Make it harder
- Full stroke with a relaxed recovery for five strokes.
Common faults
- Arms lifted high over the head.
- Arms dragging through the water.
Corrections
- 'Skim the water like a skimming stone.'
- Finish the push past the hips first.
Assistant / L1 role
- Demonstrate the swing on poolside and point to a swimmer's arms when they lift too high.