Butterfly Breathing Patterns BY RUSSELL MARK//HIGH PERFORMANCE
CONSULTANT It’s easy to get fixated on breathing patterns in
fly, but with certainty the most important part of breathing in
fly is the technique. - Breathe forward, not up. Keep your head
low to the water during the breath. - Don’t lift your head up.
The arm pull alone will lift your body enough so you can take
the breath without picking your head up. - Breathe in the middle
of the arm pull. Don’t lift your head up as soon as you start
the pull. Be patient and you’ll catch the breath just fine.
Whether you breathe every stroke or maintain a breathing
pattern, working on the technique is a highest priority. With
that said, breathing patterns are one of the most frequent
things I get asked about. Looking at each of the finals at the
2012 Olympics, here is what I observe: - Men are breathing more
frequently than women - Men’s 100 fly: Half of the Olympic final
are breathing every stroke. The other half hold some degree of
1-up 1-down or 2-up 1-down