Preserving Energy in Butterfly

小臭贝

This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week comes from Russell Mark, USA Swimming’s director of biomechanics. Mark offers some advice on preserving energy in the butterfly.



Mark’s Tip:
The hard part for most people in butterfly isn’t when the arms are pulling underwater and doing all the work to move the body forward.  It’s in the transition from the finish to the recovery, when there’s no water resistance.  Why is that??  The shoulder muscles are naturally used a lot in that motion, but I think you should take notice of how high your hands are above your hips when you start the recovery.  The higher your arm is out of the water and above your hips at that first part of the recovery, the tighter it’ll make your shoulders.  Keep your hands and arms close to the water at all times, and also think about keeping your hips up and keeping your body horizontal on the water when you take a breath.  A good second kick and a strong finish to your pull are things that could help too.