Butterfly: arms can't recover over the water

Arms drag through the water or stop at the hips on the recovery.

Activities that help

• Butterfly Arms Walk – Swimmers walk in waist-to-chest-deep water practising butterfly arms – the keyhole pull and low swinging recovery.
• Fins for Rhythm – Short fins give enough speed for swimmers to feel the full butterfly rhythm – then the fins come off and the rhythm stays.
• Low Swing Recovery – Butterfly arms swing round low and relaxed with thumbs down and little fingers up – the recovery that swimmers can sustain.
• Single-Arm Butterfly – One arm does butterfly while the other stays extended in front – timing the kick with the arm and breathing without the effort of full stroke.