Butterfly style is considered the second fastest style after freestyle. Initially there were only three swimming styles: crawl, breaststroke and backstroke. The butterfly originated from the frog and requires a lot of upper body strength. So the butterfly style is physically demanding but at the same time the swimmer cannot achieve good speed with strength alone. It is known that butterfly is one of the most technically demanding swimming styles. Although the stretch is difficult, there is a significant improvement in speed. This is a chest swimming style, in which the upper body is raised above the water and both arms perform a wide, symmetrical, powerful stroke followed by the butterfly kick. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Correct technique is extremely important in the butterfly stroke. Many consider this style the most difficult to learn. The main difficulty is the simultaneous return of the arms and the whole body to the starting position, while breathing at the same time. In other words, this swimming technique consists of a synchronized movement of arms and legs. According to Mark Young «the movement of the butterfly body is a continuous wave action. When performed correctly, the movement provides the propulsion needed to keep the overall stroke smooth." In the starting position the swimmer lies on his chest. Arms stretched forward, legs stretched backwards. The butterfly stroke has three main phases. It's the push, the push and the recovery. At the beginning the swimmer must take the water, then the hands sink slightly downwards and then split to the sides approximately shoulder width apart. In the «pull» phase the step of the hands changes to a deeper angle with the hands almost vertical. The "push" phase pushes the palm backwards through the water under the body. The «recovery» phase swings the arms sideways on the surface of the water forward. Your hands should enter the water fingertips first. The kick action creates a wave-like body motion as the swimmer moves through the water. The legs are held together to avoid loss of effort. The upward motion of the butt should come from the hip. The rules do not state how many kicks a swimmer must perform per cycle. It depends on convenience, and usually two shots are given per cycle. Some athletes manage to combine butterfly arm movements with breaststroke leg movements appeared as a kind of breaststroke around 1953. Until 2001, the rules did not prohibit such a combination. To this day, exceptions are allowed, although most swimmers now prefer undulating movements. First, the butterfly kick helps balance the arm action. Secondly, it helps provide propulsion to the body. The swimmer will only have a smooth and powerful body movement if the kick of the leg matches the action of the arm. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay Usually, one breath is taken every shot. This is the best option for long distances. You can take a breath with each stroke, but this will definitely slow your speed. Experienced swimmers ensure that the breathing and non-breathing cycles are equally fast and therefore they can breathe with each stroke. The sequence “two with one breath, one without” is also used by swimmers, which creates a smaller load on the lungs. The “every third” sequence is also suitable for swimmers with well-developed lungs, especially over short distances. Some individual athletes may not breathe at all.