Q&A for How to Swim the Butterfly Stroke

The first method you could try is to hold onto the top of a kickboard with your elbows straight and your head in the water. Then practice doing dolphin kicks while in this position. You could also practice without the kickboard by pushing off the wall and then doing a few, good dolphin kicks. You use the momentum from pushing off the wall to propel you forward.

As you pull your hands under your body, kick your legs. As they come over the water, kick your legs. This is the pattern you need to get yourself into.

A two handed touch. If you finish one handed, you will be instantly disqualified and that's not a good feeling.

Try to practice holding a streamlined position using a kick board try to focus moving your hips up and down without moving your upper body. Don't bend your knees to replace your hips. As you do this, let your legs follow and push with your hips until your feet (together) surface, and push with your feet causing you to kick. Once you are able to kick, focus on the upper body and to stroke correctly to go faster using non-drag momentum.

You can do butterfly at any point of the pool, shallow and deep ends but not the toddler pool. Your hands shouldn't touch the floor anyway as you can't do butterfly with straight arms; bend them as they come under you.

Your arms should be a little further than shoulder width apart when they enter the water. Your hands should never touch throughout the entire stroke.

Two-handed finishes are legal. Both hands are to touch at the same time, not varying times, which will lead to a disqualification (DQ).

It's really about keeping your momentum going. Speed is necessary in order for you to have your head above the water and to swim faster.

It really depends on where the cramp is. If the cramp is in your side, stop, bob about 2-3 feet under water with your nose clamped shut and your mouth tense, then blow out as hard as you can without discomfort through the mouth. If the cramp is in the bottom of your feet, temporary relief can be found through putting your toes and balls of your foot on the side of the pool and pushing your heels down to stretch out the muscle. If you are doing open-water swimming, reach down to your feet, grab the big toe and part of the ball of the foot and pull up. Honestly, the best way to counter these cramps is to just to swim it off if bearable.

Think of your body as a scale. The middle is your lungs. If you push your chest up while you do the dolphin kick, your legs will lift and your body will follow.

Keep your head down and fingers pointed behind you. Remember to not take drag.

A butterfly turn is the same as a breaststroke turn. In order to do it, you hold to the side, pull up, and then drop down and turn. You don't turn underwater for the butterfly stroke.

You should breathe when you just come up from the water. Take a quick exhale then inhale.

That is not too tiring if you are a little more trained. Also, ask your coach. They probably know whats best for you and can push you.

You should aim to breathe every two stokes, one if you are tired. The rhythm for kicking is kick-kick-rest, and your arms should be out of the water while you rest. The timing for kicking and breathing are the same.

You can start by training your legs to be stronger and push harder under the water. Make sure your fingers are closed so you can push the water out of the way effectively.

Practice with some drills and watch Olympians and other great butterfliers swim. To fix the problem, try to make a diamond with your hand. Make a triangle under your stomach, lining your thumbs up together, and your index fingers together. This will help many of your timing issues.

Noodles can be a great learning tool when you're first starting out, but to swim effectively, you will eventually have to learn to swim without them.

Slightly, yes. Your feet should break the surface of the water as you kick them up and down.

You probably haven't got the right timing yet or your kick isn't strong enough. Keep practicing. If you're on a swim team or taking lessons, ask your coach or instructor if they have any tips for you.

Work on your arm technique. Do various drills using a pool buoy (e.g, left arm pull, right arm pull, double arm pull). Essentially what you are doing is a freestyle pull using both arms at the same time and making more of an arc motion. To get yourself back up after the recovery you should lift your chest up and use the momentum of the push to propel your arms for the stroke.

Ideally, there should not be much of a wave in front of you. As a beginner, you may see that, but with practice, you'll do this stroke more effectively, and this will not happen. However, don't worry about the wave, just focus on your stroke - there's quite a lot going on at once, and the last thing you need is a distraction.

Yes. Your breathing should occur just as your arms rise above the water and end as your arms enter the water again.

You want your palms to be face down, aimed slightly away from each other, as you´re in the recovery phase (when you arms are out of the water). Try to make your wrists connect while you swim.

No. You likely ate too much.

Roll over onto your back and flutter kick slowly to stay afloat while you regain your strength.

If you are learning the stroke, do not worry about stamina protection. The butterfly is complicated enough. Work on your form, and once you've mastered the stroke, work on your stamina.

Take your cues from your coach.

No, they are not. Keep them inside the water at all times, the only thing leaving the water should be your head and arms.

One thing I like to do to breathe better is change my breathing patterns. Personally, the best time for me to breathe is when my hands start to pull from above my head to about to take an above-water stroke. That way, I'll breathe and my head can be back down by the time I throw my arms over to the front.