FLS06 Category: Butterfly Arms only – Sculling (aka Conductor or Wiper Blades)

Description:

Elbows should be out from and close to the surface with the forearms hanging downward toward the bottom of the pool.  Scull hands outward and inward (open the pinky as scull outward, open the thumb as scull inward)  with both arms together in a conductor motion. Focus on your thumbs sweeping out and back in.  Can also combine with 1+ full strokes after 2-5 undulations/sculls to help train the EVF catch.  All sculling drills are typically best if done with a snorkel (except heads-up versions)

Purpose:   

Sculling drills with butterfly can help train better stroke time, better EVF catch, body position, balance and power development

Variations:

FLS06-01 With buoy and NO kick Fly Sculling (GIF)(Full Video Link)

• This can be used as part of a stroke development progression
• Ideal way to learn how to scull and how to incorporate sculling into training
• By not kicking the swimmer can confirm that their scull is pulling them forward and not just their kick

FLS06-02 Fly Sculling with Body Dolphins (w/ and w/o Full Fly strokes)  (GIF)

• Arms out forward, elbows close to surface, forearms/hands pointed down
• Scull OUT as you press the chest DOWN
• Can take 2-4 sculls, followed by 1-2 explosive full strokes (to help connect the timing and the catch with the undulations)

FLS06-03 Free or Breast kicks with Fly Sculling hands

• Helps add variety to improve catch, balance, and body position with fly sculls

FLS06-04 Fly Sculling With Flat Paddles, no straps   (GIF)

• Once comfortable with sculling in general, flat paddles without straps can maximize the feedback to the hands by ‘enlarging the hands’
• Rotate the SwimmersBest Flat Paddles horizontal for this drill
• It is important to keep the elbows up high and the hands pointing mostly downward

FLS06-05 Heads up above water  (with flat paddles and no straps or without paddles) (GIF)

• This drives more pressure to the hands and requires more engagement of the forearms
• Be sure to focus on the pressure on the forearms and wrists more than the hands

FLS06-06 With Precision or Precise Paddles (heads up… then heads down) (GIF)(Full Video Link)

• Displacement paddles will take the force from the hands and allow the swimmer to focus on the pressure to the forearms and wrists
• By raising up the head above the water the swimmer just catch the water with the forearm/wrists and learn to balance and develop power from more than just the hands
• The use of displacement paddles can be deceiving as merely only technique devices but swimmers will quickly learn that they are much harder to use (due to their instability in the pull phase) and will develop a much better range of muscles when used regularly