Butterfly kick timing is often described in terms of what the arms...
Andrew Sheaff@AndrewKSheaff
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Feb 24, 2026
~1 min read
1
Butterfly kick timing is often described in terms of what the arms are doing.
Kick when the hands enter.
Kick when the hands exit.
While that’s accurate, it can be confusing.
Some swimmers are surprisingly unaware of where their hands are in space.
Kick when the hands enter.
Kick when the hands exit.
While that’s accurate, it can be confusing.
Some swimmers are surprisingly unaware of where their hands are in space.
2
An alternative is to talk about kick timing in terms of where the head is.
When the head is moving down, it’s time to kick as the hands approach entry.
When the head is moving up to breathe, it’s time to kick as the hands pull through.
When the head is moving down, it’s time to kick as the hands approach entry.
When the head is moving up to breathe, it’s time to kick as the hands pull through.
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Now swimmers can feel the timing through the movement of the head, instead of guessing where the hands are.
It’s simpler, it’s more intuitive, and it can be more effective.
If swimmers are struggling, give it a try.
It’s simpler, it’s more intuitive, and it can be more effective.
If swimmers are struggling, give it a try.
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The biggest ‘problem’ with an effective skill development system:
The more swimmers improve, the more the system needs to be updated.
When they get faster, the standards and expectations need to rise.
And that cycle never stops.
The more swimmers improve, the more the system needs to be updated.
When they get faster, the standards and expectations need to rise.
And that cycle never stops.