Best of Club Swimming: Butterfly Foundations

with Jeff Julian,
Leader and Coach of Mission Viejo Nadadores Professional and Post Grad Performance Training Center at the Marguerite Aquatic Center;
Rose Bowl Aquatics Head Coach and General Manager from 2004 to 2022;
8x All-American, Pac-10 Champion, and U.S. National Team Olympics Trial Qualifier; has coached of many Olympic Trial & Collegiate Swimmers.

Jeff Julian teaches age group swimmers that while butterfly is a demanding stroke, it can be easier and more fun to swim when you focus on two things: keeping your power going forward and maintaining your rhythm. That creates momentum - easy energy for faster, more sustainable butterfly.

Julian breaks down the butterfly stroke so that age group swimmers can learn to appreciate its power and rhythm. Stressing the importance of the pull & catch and keeping the body in a forward motion, he will have even the novice flyer swimming in a relaxed position while not compromising on power or speed. He explains what to look for in the stroke:

• Develop a powerful catch and pull that propels the body forward, with no up-and-down motion that wastes energy and increases drag
• Why hand entry and the shape of the pull is critical for maintaining power
• How to time the breath so it's supported by the pull and doesn't disrupt the stroke's rhythm
• Sustain rhythm that doesn't change between a breath and a non-breath stroke cycle, and learn why the non-breath stroke may be the culprit when the two are uneven
• Learn to balance power and tempo for speed that even younger swimmers or tired racers can achieve

Undulation and Kick

Julian takes swimmers through undulation and kick drills to help them build maximum power by making sure the body motion starts all the way up in the core and that the up-kick and down-kick are balanced and strong. Swimmers that rely only on their arms tire quickly. Teaching the entire body to work together creates a smooth, sustainable stroke.

Arms

Use the Power Catch Drill to focus on connecting a powerful catch and accelerating pull for a forward surge that maximizes momentum. Learn why the right catch sets up the entire stroke and how to spot catch flaws that create problems in the other phases of the stroke.

Drills as Diagnostics

Learn how developmental swimmers are not the only swimmers who rely on butterfly drills. Advanced swimmers learn to use butterfly drills during warm up to develop consistency and spot stroke problems before they become entrenched.

Turns

The faster you can get your knees up, the faster you can get your body turned around. Learn to adjust strokes before the flags so that you can hit the wall with full momentum to take into the turn. Carry that momentum off the wall for a surge through your breakout.

Starts

Learn to send power and momentum forward at the beep for a powerful start with no wasted motion. Engage arms to get your body over the water before your front leg pushes for the right angle of entry at the fastest speed.

If you want to break down the flow of the stroke from the pull & catch, the timing of the breath, or the recovery of the stroke, this is the video you need. Julian's easy to follow instructions with great in-water demonstrations and below-water videos is a great resource for coaches of all levels. His drills are easy enough for novice swimmers, but still helpful enough to refine the stroke of the most advanced swimmers. This is a great butterfly video to add to your collection!

Age group swimmers of all levels will learn what they can do to improve their butterfly now and keep getting it faster.

65 minutes. 2017.