Stoneskipper is a drill to learn to swim butterfly. It comes after Slide to the Corners in our series of butterfly stroke drills. Here’s a video showing this drill:
Stoneskipper lets you practice both the underwater arm sweep and the correct timing for breathing. In fact you can see this drill as combining hand-lead body dolphins, head-lead body dolphins and underwater arm sweeps.
TopSync
Swimming Drill Instructions
Push off the wall and get into a horizontal position with your face down.
Extended
your arms forward and shoulder width apart.
Execute two
hand-lead
body
dolphins. Slide your arms outward to the corners at the end of the second undulation.
Release the pressure on your chest and start to sweep your arms backward as your chest rises.
Your hands should draw a keyhole shape in the water as they move backward during the sweep. Your hands first move backward and outward, then backward and inward below the chest, then backward and outward again at the end of the sweep. Your hands should be at your hips at the end of the sweep.
Execute two head-lead body dolphins.
During the second body dolphin, sneak your arms forward to their initial position. To do so sweep your hands forward along an imaginary line that runs below the middle of your body.
Stop to breathe after a few drill cycles.
Add breathing once you get the hang of the movements. To breathe, raise your head above the water surface, as your hands move toward your chest during the backward sweep.
BottomSync
Additional Tips
Don’t hold your breath, exhale continuously in the water.
You can use a swimmer’s snorkel at first to practice the drill without being distracted by breathing.
Swimming fins can also help.
Previous Drill – Slide To The Corners
Next Drill – Hip-Delay Butterfly
