Butterfly Breathing

Breathe easier in three simple steps!

By Abbie Fish

Butterfly is widely considered the most difficult and technical of the swimming strokes. It requires strength, endurance, and superlative timing to master. And learning when and how to breathe in the butterfly stroke may take some time and effort.

Timing

Breathing in butterfly is all about timing. The breath always happens in conjunction with the arms. This means that the speed of the breath is dependent on the speed of your arms. The faster you swim, the less time you have to sneak in that all-important breath.

Starting the Breath

Start the breath as you’re pulling down with both arms. This means starting to lift your head up at you catch at the top of the pull. As your arms push backward, your head should come forward, above the surface of the water as you take a breath.

Finishing the Breath

Now that you’ve gotten a breath, it’s time to put your head down and drive forward. This means putting your head down as your hands recover. Your head should be back in the water before your hands have fully recovered overhead and reentered the water to begin the next stroke.

Putting it All Together

To have a great butterfly breath, make sure you're lifting your head up as you’re pulling down and back. Then, drop the head down before the hands enter back up top. It sounds simple, but will likely take you some time to master. Keep trying. Practice playing with the timing of your breath and your arms to find the right rhythm that allows you to take a complete breath while increasing the strength of your pull.

Focusing on these areas and training them regularly can help you become a super flyer—and efficient butterfly breather—in short order.