Butterfly Linking Strokes
Butterfly in small sets – two strokes and a glide, then three, then four – so swimmers learn to link strokes instead of stopping after each one.
- Stages
- Swimming – Stage 9
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Skills
- Dolphin Kick, Butterfly, Stroke Timing
- Equipment
- None, Short Fins
- Age
- 9–99 years
- Group size
- 1–16 swimmers
- Time
- About 6 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Allow standing or resting at any time – butterfly is tiring.
What it develops
- Butterfly: low forward breath and linked strokes
How to run it
- Push off with dolphin kicks, take two butterfly strokes, then glide in streamline and kick.
- Next width: three strokes, glide and kick; then four.
- Swimmers only add a stroke when the last set kept its rhythm.
- Finish by swimming as many quality strokes as feel good without stopping.
Teaching cues
- Keep kicking in the glide.
- Kick your hands in, kick your hands out.
- Breathe early and low.
Make it easier
- Use short fins (if your pool allows).
- Use single-arm butterfly between full strokes.
Make it harder
- Breathe every second stroke.
- Link six strokes, then turn and repeat.
Common faults
- Kick stops during the glide.
- Arms stop at the hips between strokes.
- Lifting the head high to breathe.
Corrections
- 'The kick is the engine – never switch it off.'
- 'Swing straight through into the next stroke.'
- 'Chin skims the water.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Call out the number of strokes for each width as swimmers set off, following the teacher's progression, and note anyone who stands mid-width.