Welcome to Teaching Butterfly
This module walks you through The Swim Academy's butterfly lesson plan — the fourth stroke, and the one that demands the most precise timing of all.
Butterfly is nothing about how far you can swim or how fast you can swim. It is entirely about rhythm and timing. Head, hands and feet need to be in the right place at the right time — and when any one of those is off, the whole stroke collapses. Understanding the timing issues, and knowing how to identify and fix errors in sequencing, is what this module is about.
The good news: we don't need swimmers to swim too far in the initial teaching phase.
Work through the sections in order using the rope on the left (or the bar at the top on mobile). Finish with the Knowledge Check, then keep the Quick Reference handy for your first few butterfly lessons.
What you'll cover
- Setting Up For Success — the non-negotiable habits that keep every lesson safe and running smoothly
- Learning Your Swimmers Names — how to assign swimmers to lanes and learn every name before you teach
- Introduction to Basic Squad Skills — the very basic skills to bring good order to what is happening in the water once full laps become part of the structure
- Freestyle Refresher — 6 × 25m warm-up including the almost catch-up golden rule
- Backstroke Refresher — 4 × 25m warm-up reinforcing horizontal body position and alternating rhythm
- Breaststroke Warm-up — the four-part warm-up that opens every butterfly lesson
- The Focus — why timing and rhythm are everything in butterfly, and the two-stroke target
- Butterfly Kick — four slow kicks only (with fins), and why slow matters
- Butterfly Arms — one stroke at a time, no breathing, high elbows, thumbs down
- Putting It Together — the full two-stroke sequence with correct kick timing
- Troubleshooting — the most common timing and sequencing errors, and how to fix them
- Knowledge Check — scenario questions to test your understanding
- Quick Reference — a cheat sheet to keep handy for your first butterfly lessons
Setting Up For Success
Before any stroke is taught, four habits set the tone for safety, behaviour and learning. They take 60 seconds and they're non-negotiable.
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1
Introduce yourself
A quick "Hi, I'm Sam, I'll be teaching you today" builds trust fast.
Ask the kids their names, check off on your list and sort them into the correct lanes. -
2
Set your rules
"I NEVER want to see your head under the water when you are waiting at the wall or hanging on the lane rope."
Clear expectations stated early prevent most behaviour issues before they start. -
3
Call each swimmer by their name and tell each swimmer what you want them to do, every time
Remember that teaching swimming is important but putting on a performance for parents watching is almost as important. Calling a swimmer's name and telling each one what you want them to do for each lap is a non-negotiable part of TSA lesson delivery.
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4
Squad etiquette
Some very basic squad etiquette rules were introduced in Breaststroke, including swimming along the lane rope / don't swim in the middle of the lane. Now it's time to bring a new level of organisation to what is happening in the pool with a larger group of swimmers. We discuss in detail in the next section.
Butterfly is a stroke development level — swimmers must never swim more than one lap at a time.
Learning Your Swimmers Names
Knowing every swimmer's name is the foundation of effective TSA lesson delivery. It's not a nice-to-have — it's how you teach.
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1
Divide the class list across your lanes
Take your class list and divide the number of students into the number of lanes so the numbers in each lane are almost equal.
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2
Draw a line under the last name in each lane
Draw a line under the name of the last person in each lane group to clearly mark where one lane ends and the next begins.
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3
Assign top-of-list swimmers to the lane furthest from you
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4
Assign bottom-of-list swimmers to the lane closest to you
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5
Write the lane number next to each group
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6
Place swimmers in their assigned lanes as they arrive
When the swimmers present themselves, put them in their assigned lanes.
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7
Arrange the order in the lane to match your list
When the swimmers are in the water, arrange the order in the lane to reflect the order of names on your list.
How it looks in practice
Basic Squad Skills
It will take much repetition to achieve competency and consistency here. You need to have these front of mind for every lap that is swum.
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1
Lining up in the lane
When we line up in the lane the first person is lined up on the left hand side of the lane.
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2
Pushing off
We NEVER start any lap by pushing off the floor. We must always push off the wall.
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3
Where to swim
We swim along the lane rope at all times. NEVER swim down the middle of the lane.
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4
Finishing on the wall
We must always finish ON the wall — not before it.
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5
Moving across when touching wall
When we touch the wall at the other end we move over to the side we are coming back on to allow everyone else to finish on the wall.
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6
Feet off the bottom
NEVER have kids walking along the bottom of the pool or pushing off the bottom of the pool.
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7
Sorting order in the lane so fastest swimmer is always first
As soon as you see a swimmer swimming on someone's toes or swimming over the top of the person in front, you must immediately change the order so you always have the fastest swimmer first.
At the start you might even need to create specific exercises to teach these skills.
Example 1 — to teach swimming along the lane rope you might need to combine with each of the stroke model instructions: "eyes down — ALONG THE LANE ROPE."
Example 2 — to teach finishing on the wall and moving across you may need to line them up outside the flags and have them swim in and move across / line them up at half way and swim in and move across / finally swim 25m and move across.
Freestyle Refresher
Every lesson opens with 6 × 25m freestyle. It's a warm-up, but it's also where body position and breathing habits are built.
Never allow swimmers to swim with full split arm freestyle — or full catch up freestyle.
In split arm freestyle, when one arm is recovering from the back of the stroke to the front, the other arm is starting to move down towards the hips. Young swimmers do not have enough abdominal strength to hold themselves balanced in the water, so hands tend to catch up at the hips — instead of at the front of the stroke — and they collapse into the stroke.
We teach catch up in Breathers and allow it at Breaststroke levels. At Butterfly level we need to transition all freestyle swimmers to ALMOST CATCH UP.
If hands are nearly catching up correctly, one arm is recovering from the back of the stroke to the front while the other arm is still sitting flat on the water. This balances the swimmer during that phase of the stroke.
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1
Eyes down
Looking at the bottom of the pool keeps the face in the water and the neck relaxed — the default head position for the whole stroke.
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2
Chin on chest
Tucking the chin lengthens the body line. A lifted head drops the hips and legs and turns the stroke into hard work.
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3
Head still
The head is the "rudder." If it rocks side to side, the whole body wobbles off balance.
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4
Eyes looking along the water to breathe
When breathing, eyes skim along the surface rather than lifting up — this keeps the rotation small and the body balanced.
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5
Chin to shoulder
The breathing rotation pivots the chin toward the shoulder rather than lifting the head, allowing for minimal movement and efficient breathing.
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6
All together — perfect freestyle
Once each piece is automatic on its own, swimmers combine them into one continuous stroke. This final step is the test that the earlier cues have become habit.
Backstroke Refresher
Backstroke requires a horizontal body position and a continuous, alternating rhythm, similar to freestyle.
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1
Head back — hips up
Ears in the water, eyes to the ceiling, hips floating near the surface. If the head comes up to look at toes, hips drop and swimmer sinks in a "V".
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2
Straight leg kicking with feet bubbling water
A continuous flutter kick from the hips, with relaxed ankles so the feet break the surface and "bubble." This keeps the legs near the top of the water and the hips up. Feet should NEVER be dragging along the bottom or be well under the surface.
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3
Hands swapping
One arm recovers over the top while the other pulls underwater — continuous and alternating, so there's always a hand moving. It's very important not to allow hands to catch up at the hips (like you teach them in freestyle). If hands catch up at the hips they lose momentum and sink.
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4
Little finger first
The hand enters the water pinky-first, close to the body. This reduces splash and sets the hand up to "catch" the water efficiently for the pull.
Breaststroke Refresher
This is easy. All you need to do is 6 or so laps following the scheme of the Breaststroke 2 lesson plan.
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1
Kick only (pull buoy as kickboard)
The cue words are "kick and glide" as well as "big kick".
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2
Arms only — arms / breathe / stop / 100-200
One full lap of breaststroke arms with a pull buoy. The Arms/Breathe/Stop/100-200 chant reinforces the habit of pausing and counting between each stroke — a habit that transfers directly into butterfly arms, where the 100-200 stop between strokes is critical for maintaining timing.
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3
Two kicks, one arms — kick / kick / arms / breathe / fast kick / slow kick
One full lap of the connection drill. This is the transition step where swimmers practise arms and kick happening in sequence rather than simultaneously — exactly the relationship butterfly arms and legs need.
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4
Long glide breaststroke — arms / breathe / fast kick / 100-200
You will have time for say 3 full laps of breaststroke. It's your chance to problem solve any slow/wide hands into "narrow and fast" and any poor connection of arms with legs with a loud "fast kick" as the hands start to part.
The Focus
Before teaching a single kick or arm stroke, make sure you understand what you're actually trying to achieve — and why timing is the only thing that matters.
We are not teaching butterfly to be swum continuously. The target is two full strokes — push off, high elbows, kick out, kick in, stop, then repeat once more — with arms and legs in the right place at the right time throughout. Two strokes done correctly is a success.
The two key rules:
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1
Never kick before high elbows
From the push-off, the swimmer must not kick until their arms have reached high elbows. If they kick first, their shoulders will be underwater when the arms need to recover over the water — and butterfly arm recovery over water with submerged shoulders is physically impossible. This single timing error breaks the whole stroke.
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2
"Kick your hands out, kick your hands in"
This is the cue that encodes the timing of the full stroke. The first kick pushes the hands forward and up through the water to the front of the stroke. The second kick drives the hands down and back through the push phase. If a swimmer internalises this cue, the timing almost takes care of itself.
"If I was inside your head right now — what would I hear you saying to yourself?"
Butterfly is far easier when swimmers count the sequence in their head. Asking this question before they push off checks whether they're using the cue chant internally (and it reminds them to). Their brain has far more chance of coordinating arms and legs when it's actively counting.
Butterfly is taught as three separate skills: kick only, arms only, then together. Each phase has its own out-of-water demonstration before anything goes in the water. If they can't do the motor skill on land, they have no hope of doing it in the water.
Butterfly Kick
We teach four kicks only, with fins on. The two most important things about this kick are the head position (on top of the water and not under it) and the speed (slow — deliberately slow). Both matter enormously for what comes next.
"One and… two and… three and… four and… STOP."
An alternative that younger swimmers love: "fat man / skinny man" — four times through. Both encode the undulating, rhythmic quality the kick needs.
The two non-negotiables for kick phase
Why head must be face down ON TOP of the water
If the head is under the water during kick phase, it will be physically impossible to bring the arms around in the arm phase — shoulders lock out with head down under the water. If head is flat on top of water the shoulder angle opens and you can bring the arms around. The head must be still, not moving up and down with the kick to also allow for this.
Why the kick must be slow
If the kick is too fast, there won't be time to fit half an arm cycle between the kicks. The whole stroke depends on the sequence: kick → hands out → kick → hands in. A fast kick compresses that window and collapses the timing before it's even been established. Slow and controlled is best for teaching complex motor skills.
Teaching progression
Out of the water
Swimmers stand with hands by their sides — no fins. Demonstrate the four-kick cycle very slowly, calling "one and… two and… three and… four and… STOP." Have them do it with you, counting together. Watch that the movement comes from the hips, not the knees, and that the head stays still. If they can't do the motor skill on land, they can't do it in the water. Ensure all swimmers are in time with you to check they understand the timing correctly.
In the water
Fins on. Instruct them to push off wall in streamline, then move hands to shoulder width and begin four slow kicks — "one and… two and… three and… four and… STOP." Complete the sequence, then move to the right-hand side of the lane rope and wait. Give each child feedback once they have completed the 4 kicks. When all swimmers are through, send them back to the wall quickly. Repeat 3–4 times until execution is competent and consistent.
A knee-driven kick looks like knees jerking towards the stomach or feet coming far out of the water. It produces almost no propulsion and collapses the body position. The fix is to slow right down on land first and re-check that the movement begins at the hip before returning to the water. It should look like an undulating wave that begins at the hips and propels at the legs.
Butterfly Arms
We start with just one arm stroke. No breathing, no kicking — just arms. The pull buoy stops any leg movement so the focus stays entirely on the arm pattern.
"High elbows… pull to your belly… push out the back… thumbs down… around… and STOP."
What each cue is really doing
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1
High elbows
From the shoulder-width hand position, the elbows lift above the wrists to set the catch. This is the power position — if the elbows drop at this point, the pull becomes weak and wide. It also signals to the legs when to kick: the first kick comes only when high elbows are established, never before.
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2
Pull to belly
Hands sweep inward and back. The pull stays in front of the hips — unlike freestyle, which continues further back. This is where most of the propulsion is generated.
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3
Push out the back
Hands push back past the hips with thumbs pointing toward the bottom. This is the timing check for the first kick: the first kick drives the hands out just as they reach this position.
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4
Thumbs down
Thumbs down = head down during recovery. Thumbs up = head up — and you cannot swim butterfly with your head up during the arm recovery phase.
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5
Around and Stop — 100, 200
Arms recover over the water (low and fast, skimming the surface) and return to the shoulder-width starting position. The second kick is timed when the hands enter the water to provide momentum for the next pull. The "stop" and 100-200 count here is critical — without it, swimmers pull immediately into the second stroke and miss the kick entirely. The pause is what preserves the timing.
Teaching progression
Out of the water
Demonstrate one arm stroke very slowly, calling the full cue chant: High elbows / pull to your belly / push out the back / thumbs down / around / and STOP. Have swimmers do it with you, calling the cues together. Watch that thumbs point down during recovery. If they can't do the motor skill on land, they can't do it in the water.
One stroke only — in the water
Pull buoy to stop all kicking. No breathing, no kicking — just arms. Push off with hands at shoulder width and do one stroke only: High elbows / pull / push / thumbs down / around / STOP. Move to the lane rope and wait. Once all swimmers are through, send them back. Repeat 3–4 times until execution is consistent. Ensure you give feedback to each child after each attempt.
Two strokes with 100-200 in the middle
Move to two arm strokes, ensuring there is a 100-200 stop in the middle and a 100-200 stop at the end. Still no breathing, no kicking. The pause in the middle is critical — without it, the second stroke will collapse the timing before the next kick can arrive. Ensure you give feedback to each child after each attempt.
Swimmers who skip the mid-stroke pause consistently get the first stroke right — then immediately pull through on the second stroke and miss the kick entirely. The rhythm collapses. If you only enforce one thing in the arms phase, enforce the 100-200 stop in the middle.
Putting It Together
The objective is two complete strokes of butterfly — with fins, no breathing — with arms and legs timed correctly. The full cue sequence encodes everything: push off, glide, high elbows, kick out, kick in, stop, then repeat.
"Push off and glide… high elbows… kick out… kick in… STOP… kick out… kick in… STOP."
How the timing works
Each full arm stroke has two kicks attached to it. The first kick arrives as the hands are pushing down past the hips — "kick (hands) out". The second kick arrives as the hands are pushing/recovering back to the front of the stroke — "kick (hands) in". Then everything stops.
Teaching progression
Out of the water
Demonstrate the two full-stroke cycle very slowly: Push off and glide / high elbows / kick out / kick in / stop / kick out / kick in / stop. Have swimmers do it with you. Most importantly, get them counting with you — butterfly is far more achievable when the swimmer is running the cue sequence internally. Ask them: "If I was inside your head right now, what would I hear you saying?"
In the water
Fins on. Push off with hands at shoulder width. Call the full cue chant through both strokes. Once the sequence is complete, move to the lane rope and wait. Send swimmers back quickly, then repeat 3–4 times. No breathing at this stage — holding the breath keeps the head position correct and simplifies the motor task significantly.
If a swimmer kicks off the wall before reaching high elbows, their shoulders will be submerged by the time the arms try to recover over the water. Butterfly arm recovery with shoulders underwater is physically impossible — the stroke simply fails. Watch for this every push-off, and pause the swimmer before they go if you see it happening.
Before each push-off, ask the swimmer what they'd hear if you were inside their head. If the answer is "nothing", they'll struggle. If the answer is the cue chant, they've got a real chance. Counting the sequence aloud gives the brain the coordination signal it needs to connect arms and legs at the right moment.
Spotting and Fixing Problems
Almost every butterfly problem you'll see comes back to one of two things: the timing is off (usually kicking too early or skipping the stop), or the body position collapses (usually caused by the head going underwater during recovery).
Problem: the swimmer kicks before reaching high elbows
Problem: the swimmer misses the second kick on the second stroke
Problem: head goes underwater during arm recovery
Problem: kick comes from the knees, not the hips
If a swimmer's stroke is deteriorating, the first question to ask is: "Are you counting?" In most cases the answer is no — they've stopped using the cue chant internally and are just "trying to swim." Remind them to count, and the stroke often corrects itself without any further intervention.
Knowledge Check
Quick Reference
Download or print this page for your first few butterfly lessons using the button at the bottom of the page.
The Goal
Two complete strokes with correct timing. Not how far, not how fast — just rhythm and timing for two strokes.
The Non-Negotiable Rule
Never kick before high elbows. If they kick first, their shoulders are underwater and arm recovery is impossible.
Ask every swimmer before they push off: "What would I hear if I was inside your head?"
Butterfly Kick
Progression: out of water (no fins) → in the water (fins on)
Butterfly Arms
Progression:
No breathing, no kicking. Just arms.
Lesson Setup & Golden Rule
- Introduce yourself
- Set your rules
Golden rule: butterfly is a stroke development level — swimmers must never swim more than one lap at a time.
Problem Solving
- Kicks before high elbows → back out of water, extend the glide, cue "glide… NOW high elbows"
- Misses second kick → pull buoy, arms only, drill the mid-stroke 100-200 pause
- Head goes under on recovery → check thumbs down at the exit
- Kick from knees, not hips → back out of water, reteach hip-initiated wave
- Stroke collapses generally → ask "are you counting?" — remind them to use the cue chant
You've covered everything you need to start teaching butterfly — from setting up your group and squad skills through to two complete strokes with correct timing. Good luck with your first butterfly lessons.
Thank you for completing the Butterfly Module.
You're now ready to deliver your first butterfly lesson. Good luck!