Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not see the point of butterfly? (Swimming)

92 replies

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 28/02/2022 19:40

Slight frustration as the only thing holding DD back from moving up a level at swimming is her butterfly legs. Elder DD is on the lesson above (stage 5) and has had children move into her group barely able to swim a width in any stroke. Meanwhile DD is in level below able to do proper breaststroke, front crawl and backstroke. But her butterfly legs are a bit messy.

But what is the point of butterfly? Front crawl is fast. Breaststroke has it uses for people who can't go underwater and is calm. Backstroke has uses for when you get in trouble.

Neither child will be going into Club swimming... unfortunately Covid has put paid to any chance of that as they are too old now really.

My views might be slightly effected by being a former Club swimmer who didn't do butterfly after breaking my arm leaving it with a slight weakness... I could do the others fine.

So.. is there a use for the Butterfly stroke outside of competitive swimming?

OP posts:
Theyweretheworstoftimes · 28/02/2022 19:42

Ex competitive swimmer.

In short - no

GiveMeNovocain · 28/02/2022 19:44

We gave up swimming lessons for exactly this reason! Butterfly is useless

Billybagpuss · 28/02/2022 19:44

No 😂

I think I saw a documentary ages ago that in one of the early Olympics the rules for breast stroke were ‘moving both arms at the same time’ and one country realised that by doing a butterfly stroke this was quicker. The following year they tightened the rules for breast stroke and introduced the new stroke as a separate entity.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 28/02/2022 19:46

The main use of butterfly is to ensure nobody gets in the same lane as you in a swimming pool.

onthinice · 28/02/2022 19:47

I was a club swimmer and never mastered butterfly - got on just fine all through my swimming grades. I don't know why they changed it to need it to pass grade 4. Even before they learn to tread water they're expected to be able to do that stroke! Such a shame as it means children (such as my own) and ending their lessons unable to pass butterfly and therefore unable to access the life saving skills.

Gowithme · 28/02/2022 19:48

Another club swimmer who hated Butterfly. What a waste of time.

ChrissyPlummer · 28/02/2022 19:49

I feel your pain. I used to be a very good swimmer; had every distance/water skills/diving skills award. I could never master butterfly! Thankfully, in my day you just did it for fun and it wasn’t a requirement for any awards or to move up levels.

millymae · 28/02/2022 19:52

I would say no other than if you are wanting to annoy swimmers around you. To me it is the most pointless of strokes.
My view might be influenced by the fact that some years ago one of the swimmers at my local pool swam butterfly in the middle lane and the way his strokes churned up the water made for a very uncomfortable swim for everyone who had the misfortune to be using the pool at the same time as him. It was like swimming in a very choppy sea.

Original poster
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 28/02/2022 19:53

The annoying thing she loves doing the "Mermaid" when we go fun swimming. But they rarely do it in the lessons for her to show she can do it. She just needs to do the legs, not the arms.

Apparently they did 8widths in the whole lesson today... the teacher is obsessed with blowing bubbles by the side, jumping in and going over the safety rules....

I'll leave my rant over the quantity of stuff in Stage 5 for another day. They need their 25m badges for another activity...

OP posts:
lljkk · 28/02/2022 19:54

Some of us like a challenge...

when DS was frustrated by Butterfly I told him it was the hardest stroke to do well and that it looks amazing when done well. We watched some videos. He came back to class after with a different view -- that he could definitely do this, other people could do it, and that it would be satisfying to achieve. The difficulty had its own appeal.

It's a powerful stroke that looks amazing. -- I don't mind sharing lanes with Fly swimmers as long as they are trying to only fly when they have room to do it and basically watching out for others.

CloudPop · 28/02/2022 19:54

Totally agree. Cannot see the point of butterfly at all, and yes it put my kids off competitive swimming as well.

TopTabby · 28/02/2022 19:58

To be honest, I stopped swimming lessons once my dds could swim 2 lengths of the 25m pool confidently doing front crawl or breast/backstroke. I certainly wasn't bothered about them learning butterfly at all, let alone perfecting it!

Hedonism · 28/02/2022 20:00

It seems like a very inefficient stroke.

I am a competent swimmer but the only time I ever tried butterfly I nearly drowned (ditto tumble turns, but I do understand the point of them).

Suzyinthesummertime · 28/02/2022 20:01

Never understood the point of it myself

WholeHog · 28/02/2022 20:01

I enjoy butterfly for its sheer audaciousness, it's a completely inefficient way of getting anywhere but very good exercise, rhythmically satisfying and just a bit exuberant and silly. But I only indulge myself when I have a lane to myself and good barriers or quiet lanes nearby so as to not wash anyone away.

gingeristhenewblack43 · 28/02/2022 20:02

YADNBU. My DD gave up her swimming lessons as she could not master the butterfly and progress. She did 2 terms of stage 4 and a week of 1:1 lessons in the school hols but couldn't get it.

How they prioritise butterfly stroke over treading water is 🤯

Turquoisesol · 28/02/2022 20:02

I thought it was the stroke of choice for life saving in the sea ??!

Turquoisesol · 28/02/2022 20:03

I do think it should be possible to opt out of butterfly though

savvy7 · 28/02/2022 20:05

Tends to be the arms that are the issue rather than the legs - maybe try fins if you want to persevere or try a different teacher?

Quornflakegirl · 28/02/2022 20:06

It’s great for fitness, but pointless if you’re not a competitive summer. My dc have joined a swimming club very recently and can’t swim butterfly yet. My dsis was a 200m butterfly swimmer so I am hoping they’ll catch on quickly.

Kjr33 · 28/02/2022 20:08

Butterfly legs are an easy and efficient way to move through the water (underwater especially) and I would say it’s worth learning that….mastering the whole stoke though in my opinion only comes when swimmers are older/stronger/motivated enough to actually understand and achieve it. I taught mine the kick by challenging how far it was possible to go underwater by pushing off the side and using different kicks (arms in streamline) butterfly kick was soon agreed to be the best option and soon the kick was perfected.

Thebig3 · 28/02/2022 20:08

YANBU, this was the same issue for my DD. We complained to our swim school about it and a teacher then passed her.....when they assessed her they said 'oh that will do' it's ridiculous!

The most frustrating thing was that they barely seemed to practice it in the lessons so I couldn't understand how they were expecting them to improve.

TheGriffle · 28/02/2022 20:09

Not butterfly but my dd got stuck on a level and couldn’t move up until she’d mastered doing a roly poly in the water and a handstand. Complete waste of bloody time!

TheAbbotOfUnreason · 28/02/2022 20:15

Agree that a good fly kick is an absolute must for efficient backstroke and freestyle off the wall.

Otherwise, the main point of fly seems to be to create a big enough bow wave to soak the turn / finish judges.

Original poster
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 28/02/2022 20:15

The unfortunate thing is they came to English swimming rather late. They learnt abroad and it was different... it was strength and endurance rather than style. We returned to UK and they started English lessons in January 2020. So they've been in their current stages for over 2 years because of pool closures and waiting lists!

I just don't get how the teacher can't notice a child is on 98% and not think to check to see if she can do the last thing on the list (she is on Performed for butterfly legs, not Mastered.)

OP posts: