Surf and Football Scull Drills
These two drills can improve your butterfly kick timing
Published on February 03rd, 2026
The timing the two kicks in your butterfly stroke can be challenging, but these two drills can help you dial it in just right.
Surf Drill
Surf drill helps you sync the timing of your first dolphin kick with the initiation of your arm pull.
Start with your arms outstretched with your hands at 11 and 1 on an imaginary analog clock.
Complete four dolphin kicks, and on the fifth kick, pull both hands down together like a normal butterfly stroke. Then leave your hands down at your sides for a moment and surf on top of the water.
Once you head comes back down into the water fully, recover your hands while keeping them underwater. Bring them back to the starting position to start a new cycle.
Football Scull
The second drill helps you connect your second kick with the finish of your butterfly pull.
Start with a sideways scull at your waistline. Complete four dolphin kicks while sculling. On the fifth dolphin kick, finish the pull and initiate the recovery until you land back where you started.
It’s best to begin with surf drill and progress to football scull.
