Butterfly Technique: 5 Things I Learned Competing at the World Championships

I have swum butterfly at the highest level of the sport — from Hawaii age group meets to the 2008 World Championships in Manchester, where I earned a Silver Medal as part of the USA 4x100 Medley Relay. I have competed at two Olympic Trials, held a top-20 all-time ranking in the 100 Short Course Butterfly, and today I still race as a U.S. Masters swimmer holding the American Record in the 100 Yard Butterfly for ages 35-39.

Butterfly is the most technically demanding stroke in swimming. When done wrong, it destroys you. When done right, it feels effortless. Here are the five technique lessons that made the biggest difference in my career — and what gear helps you train them.

1. Your Hips Drive Everything — Not Your Arms

Most swimmers think butterfly is an arm stroke. It is not. Your hips initiate every single movement. The undulation starts at the hips and flows through to your feet. If your hips are stiff, your butterfly is dead.

The fix: Swim butterfly with a pull buoy between your ankles (not thighs). This forces your hips to do the work and eliminates leg kick as a crutch. Do 4x25 with 20 seconds rest and focus entirely on the hip drive forward on the catch.

2. Two Kicks Per Stroke — And They Are Not Equal

There is a small kick at entry and a powerful kick at the finish of your pull. Most age groupers make both kicks equal. That is wrong. The second kick — timed exactly as your hands exit the water — is your propulsion kick. It should be twice as powerful as the first.

I drilled this for years using short fins. The added resistance from fins forces you to develop timing because you feel immediately when the second kick is off. Use fins for 50% of your butterfly drills, not 100% — over-relying on fins builds the wrong muscles.

3. Your Head Timing Kills Your Stroke

Lifting your head too early or too late in butterfly destroys your body position. The head should lead the body into the breath — not snap up independently. Think of it this way: your head rises because your chest is pushing down, not because your neck is lifting.

The drill: Swim butterfly breathing every stroke with a snorkel for 10 strokes, then without for 10 strokes. The snorkel removes the breathing variable and lets you feel what neutral head position feels like. This was one of the most valuable drills I used in my NCAA training.

4. Your Underwater Dolphin Kick Is Your Secret Weapon

At the World Championship level, the race is often decided before the swimmer takes a single stroke. The underwater dolphin kick off the walls and start is where elite butterfly swimmers separate themselves.

I held a top-20 all-time ranking in the 100 short course butterfly. Short course is won and lost underwater. Your goal: 12-15 meters off every wall before surfacing, maintaining a tight streamline and a fast, tight kick from the hips — not the knees.

Train this with a monofin or a stiff training fin. These force your kick to originate from the hip rather than bending excessively at the knee, which is the most common flaw I see in club swimmers.

5. Race Pace Matters More Than Distance

Butterfly at race pace and butterfly at easy pace are almost different strokes. Your tempo, your kick timing, and your breathing pattern all change. Yet most swimmers do the majority of their butterfly training at easy pace and expect race pace to take care of itself.

It will not.

Include at least 20% of your butterfly volume at race pace or above. Short sets work best: 8x25 on 1:00 at 95% effort. Wear your fastest training suit — compression matters when training at high intensity because it trains your body to move efficiently under race conditions.

What Gear Do I Recommend for Butterfly Training?

The right equipment makes a significant difference in how quickly you develop butterfly technique. Based on my 30+ years of training and competing at the elite level, here is what I use and recommend:

Training Fins: Short blade fins are essential for butterfly kick timing drills. See my Top 5 Swim Fins review for the best options at every price point.

Racing Suits: Compression in a high-quality training suit helps your body learn efficient movement patterns at race pace. I train and race in Deboer Swim suits as a member of their Team Elite program. Use code TE_RANDALL10 for a discount at deboerswim.com.

Swim Goggles: Clear vision underwater is non-negotiable for butterfly. See my Top 5 Racing Swim Goggles review for my top picks.

Pull Buoy: Any quality pull buoy works for the ankle drill mentioned above. The standard Speedo or TYR pull buoy is all you need.

The Bottom Line

Butterfly is hard. But the swimmers who master it at the elite level are not stronger — they are smarter. Focus on hip drive, kick timing, head position, underwater work, and race pace training. Drill these five things consistently and your butterfly will improve faster than almost anything else you can do in the water.

Have questions about butterfly technique or gear? Reach out — I answer every message.