One of the tricks to mastering the butterfly is moving forward with each stroke, not just up and down. So, if you’re ready to go forward, convinced that you’re never too old or too slow or too smart to learn a new stroke, check out these phases of one of swimming’s most elegant strokes.

Phase I - Hands Entering Water Phase II - First Phase of the Pull Phase III - Moving Towards Recovery Phase IV - Recovery

Inge De Bruijn

Phase I - Hands Entering Water

Hands - As your hands enter the water, your thumbs are down and your palms are facing outward.

Arms - Your arms enter the water a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Your elbows are bent slightly upward. As your hand enter, extend your elbows to get ready for the pull.

Head - Your head enters the water a split second before your hands. Be sure not to get stuck with your head up after you breathe. Relax your head and keep it in line with your neck and upper back. Don’t tuck your chin. As your hips rise, your head will drop slightly.

Hips - As your arms enter the water, your hips undulate upward and initiate the first downward beat of the kick. This downward beat is less a conscious effort than a reaction to your undulating hips, but it keeps the stroke continuous and is key to timing.

Knees - Keep your knees in the slipstream of your stroke. They should stay straight and slightly hyper extended. Don’t break your streamline as your undulating hips ripple your legs through the water.

Feet - Relax your feet, especially your ankles, and point your toes downward. The trick is to keep yourself as streamlined as possible. When you first learn fly, let the movement of your feet be dictated by your undulating hips.

Phase II - First Phase of the Pull

Hands - Scull your hands outward from your shoulders as your elbows begin to bend up. As you follow through, bring your hands in toward each other so they’re almost together under your chest.

Head - Your head should remain in its neutral position in line with your spine. You should be exhaling slowly throughout the pull phase of your stroke.

Elbows - During the first phase of the pull, your elbows are at their highest point, where they provide good leverage. Throughout the underwater stage of the stroke, though, they should never be lower than your wrists.

Legs - Your undulating hips have lifted your legs up toward the surface. Your knees should still be straight at this point. As your feet near the top of their upward motion, your knees start to bend while your feet continue upward until your heels just break the surface.

Phase III - Moving Towards Recovery

Head - Forcefully expel the remaining air in your lungs while you’re underwater just before your head breaks the surface for a breath. Breathe forward, extending your chin close to the surface. If you tilt your head back for a breath, your hips will sink.

Curtis Myden - Canada

Elbows - Your elbows should exit the water first on your recovery. Keep them bent very slightly as you recover them over the surface. Don’t climb out of the water. Stay as flat and as close to the surface as possible.

Hands - After your hands have moved toward each other under your body, push them back forcefully. Your palms continue to push water back toward your feet until your arms are fully extended. Turn your palms inward as you lift them out of the water. As your arms swing out to the side, keep your wrists relaxed with your thumbs down throughout the recovery.

Legs - This is the end of your second downward beat kick. Unlike the first one, this is the conscious kick. The intense downward thrust creates the momentum for your arms to accelerate through the final extension of the arm stroke and into the recovery.

Phase IV - Recovery

Head - After reaching forward for a breath instead of lifting your 15-lb. head, be sure your head, torso, and arms re-enter the water as one unit. Keep your head in line with your spine as much as possible during the next arm pull and recovery if breathing every other stroke.

Arms - Your arms are relaxed and straight as they recover close to the surface and re-enter the water slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Hips - Your hips are undulating upward because of your large entry kick. This causes a slight arch in your lower back as your arms enter the water and extend forward.

Legs - Your feet have just broken the surface and are in position for the large downward entry kick. Your knees are bent 90 degrees at this point and will straighten to a hyper extended position as you complete this kick.