75-Minute Butterfly Fundamentals Practice Plan

Swimming·Middle School·Beginner·75 min·Fundamentals·PassingTransitionTeam Communication

By the Practice Plan App Coaching Team · Published August 2026

1.What We’re Trying To Build Today
2.How To Coach It On Deck
3.Non-Negotiables For Butterfly Beginners
4.The 75-Minute Practice Plan
5.What You'll Need
6.Running The Main Skill Block Without Losing Form
7.Common Breakdowns And Exactly What To Do
8.Adjustments For Space, Equipment, And Mixed Ability
9.What To Do Next Practice
10.Frequently Asked Questions

Butterfly fundamentals stick when you teach them in this order: body dolphin driven from the chest, dolphin kick on front, back, and side, a single-arm butterfly drill progression, low chin-forward breath timing, and a two-kicks-per-stroke rhythm — all in short reps so fatigue never wrecks the stroke. This 75-minute middle school plan from Practice Plan App scripts each step, plus butterfly open-turn basics.

The session is built for middle school beginners with 75 minutes of water time. The aim is a usable “baby butterfly” — a chest-driven wave, a steady narrow kick, and a clean low breath — built through short quality reps instead of ugly full lengths.

What We’re Trying To Build Today#

This practice is not about swimming a full 25 of perfect butterfly. It’s about getting three things to show up on command: (1) the wave starts from the chest (not the knees), (2) a dolphin kick that stays narrow and continuous, and (3) a breath that stays low with the chin forward so the hips don’t drop.

We’ll spend a lot of time in short reps (half-lengths, 6–12.5s, and small chunks) so they can repeat quality. When they get tired, butterfly falls apart fast—so we’re going to stop reps early and restart clean instead of “pushing through ugly.”

How To Coach It On Deck#

One cue at a time: Pick the one thing you want to see on the next rep (ex: “chest down first”) and ignore the rest for that rep.
Show the shape: Demo body dolphin standing up: chest presses, hips follow, knees soft. Then demo in the water for 5 seconds.
Keep them moving: If you have more than 4–5 kids on a wall, split the lane into two “start points” (shallow end + flags) so they aren’t waiting.

Non-Negotiables For Butterfly Beginners#

Narrow kick: Feet stay close; splash is behind them, not out to the sides.
Breath stays low: Chin slides forward like it’s skimming the surface; eyes go down quickly.
Two kicks per stroke: One kick as hands enter/extend, one kick as they pull/press past the chest.

Why We Touch Open Turns Today#

If they can’t finish the wall correctly, they’ll stop short, glide crooked, or panic-breathe into the wall. We’ll keep turns simple: two-hand touch, knees to chest, feet plant, streamline push, then 2–3 dolphins before they surface.

The 75-Minute Practice Plan#

9-period beginner middle school practice · 75 min

Customize This Plan →

0:00–0:05

Deck Talk And Safety Setup

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Bring them to the shallow end wall, sitting with feet in. Quick expectations: enter feet-first, stop on one whistle, and if you’re gassed you roll to your back and kick to the wall.

Tell them today is “baby fly”: we’re learning the wave and the rhythm, not muscling through full lengths.

Cues: “One whistle = hands on the wall.” “Quality beats distance today.” “If it gets messy, we shorten the rep.”
Watch for: Kids who can’t hold a tight streamline on deck—note it, because it will show up in every push-off.

0:05–0:13

Easy Swim Warm-Up

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All in the water. Use easy freestyle/backstroke mix so they loosen up without fatigue. Keep it moving with simple sends every 20–30 seconds.

2 x 25 easy free
2 x 25 easy back (or back kick if backstroke is new)
4 x 12.5 choice easy with a tight streamline push each time

Watch for: Streamline: hands stacked, head squeezed, ribs in. Fix it now so the later dolphin work has a good body line.

0:13–0:23

Body Dolphin Basics

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Set up as 2–3 swimmers per lane at the wall. First 30 seconds: demo standing on deck—chest presses down, hips follow, knees stay soft.

In-water progression:

10 seconds holding the wall in streamline, face in, make small body dolphins.
3 x push to mid-pool: streamline body dolphin (no board), stop when the wave breaks.
2 x 12.5 on the surface: hands at sides, body dolphin, eyes down.

Cues: “Chest down first.” “Hips follow.” “Small wave, not a big jump.”
Common issue: They bend knees a lot and the feet fly out wide. Fix: Have them squeeze ankles together for the next rep and aim the splash straight behind them.

0:23–0:33

Dolphin Kick Positions

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Use the lane line as a guide: keep bodies straight and narrow. Run this as short 12.5s so they can repeat good shape.

2 x 12.5 dolphin kick on front (streamline)
2 x 12.5 dolphin kick on back (arms at sides or streamline if they can)
2 x 12.5 dolphin kick on side (one arm extended, one at side; switch sides each rep)

Watch for: On back/side, hips should stay near the surface—if they sink, the kick is too big or they’re bending at the waist.

Adjustment if they’re struggling: put fins on for one round to feel steady speed, then take fins off and keep the same small kick.

0:33–0:36

Water Break And Quick Reset

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Water break at the wall. Use this as your correction window: ask two questions—“Where does the wave start?” and “What does the breath look like?”

Answer you want: “Chest.” “Chin forward, low.”
Coach move: Pick one swimmer to demo a great narrow kick for 5 seconds so the group sees it.

0:36–0:51

Single-Arm Butterfly Progression

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This is the main teaching period. Set up two start points if lines are long: half the lane starts at the wall, half starts at the flags going in. Keep reps to 12.5 or 15m max.

How it runs on the clock: 3 rounds of about 4 minutes each, plus a 1-minute reset between rounds. Round 1 = right arm only. Round 2 = left arm only. Round 3 = single-arm with low recovery. In each round, send swimmers every 20–25 seconds from each start point—aim for 4–6 reps per swimmer per round. Swimmers waiting do 10 seconds of wall body-dolphin, then reset in line. Give one cue per round only.

Right arm only, left arm extended out front. Breathe to the front with the right pull.
Left arm only, right arm extended out front.
Single-arm with recovery low: elbow relaxed, hand skims forward; no big swing.

Cues: “Kick-kick, pull.” “Chin forward, eyes down.” “Hands enter, then kick.”
Watch for: Hips staying up when they breathe—if hips drop, the head is coming up too high or too late.
Common issue: They pause the kick when they think about the arm. Fix: Make them do 5 seconds of continuous dolphin at the wall, then immediately swim the rep while you count “one-two” for the kicks.

Small challenge if they’re ready: add a two-hand touch finish on every rep so they start learning the wall habit early.

0:51–1:01

Breath Timing And Two-Kick Rhythm

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Keep this controlled: short repeats with plenty of rest so they can feel timing. Use fins only if you need to stabilize the rhythm.

6 x 12.5 as: 3 strokes single-arm fly (breath each stroke) + easy freestyle to wall
4 x 12.5 as: 2 full butterfly strokes (two kicks per stroke) + easy freestyle to wall

Cues: “Breathe as the hands finish.” “Chin slides forward.” “Kick on entry, kick on pull.”

Fix on deck: If they’re lifting, stand at mid-lane and physically show “forward” with your hand, not “up.” Then re-send immediately.

1:01–1:10

Butterfly Open-Turn Basics

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Use the shallow end so you can stand close and correct touches. Run as quick wall reps, not full swims.

From 5m out: 2–3 body dolphins into the wall, two-hand touch.
Knees to chest, turn, feet plant, tight streamline.
Push off on the back or side, then 2–3 dolphin kicks before surfacing.

Watch for: Two hands hit together—no one-hand “save.”
Common issue: They touch, then stand up or grab the gutter. Fix: Make them redo the last 3m and freeze the two-hand touch for one full second before turning.

If they’re ready, let them add one single-arm butterfly out of the breakout, then easy freestyle.

1:10–1:15

Cool-Down And Recap

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Easy 100 choice (mix free/back) with long strokes and relaxed breathing. Keep it calm—this is where you get buy-in for next time.

At the wall, recap with three quick call-and-response checks:

“Wave starts where?” → “Chest.”
“Breath goes?” → “Forward and low.”
“How many kicks per stroke?” → “Two.”

Tell them what you’ll look for next practice: “Same kick, plus a little more full stroke—only if the breath stays low.”

Time	Period	Coaching Notes
0:00–0:05	Deck Talk And Safety Setup	Bring them to the shallow end wall, sitting with feet in. Quick expectations: enter feet-first, stop on one whistle, and if you’re gassed you roll to your back and kick to the wall. Tell them today is “baby fly”: we’re learning the wave and the rhythm, not muscling through full lengths. Cues: “One whistle = hands on the wall.” “Quality beats distance today.” “If it gets messy, we shorten the rep.” Watch for: Kids who can’t hold a tight streamline on deck—note it, because it will show up in every push-off.
0:05–0:13	Easy Swim Warm-Up	All in the water. Use easy freestyle/backstroke mix so they loosen up without fatigue. Keep it moving with simple sends every 20–30 seconds. 2 x 25 easy free 2 x 25 easy back (or back kick if backstroke is new) 4 x 12.5 choice easy with a tight streamline push each time Watch for: Streamline: hands stacked, head squeezed, ribs in. Fix it now so the later dolphin work has a good body line.
0:13–0:23	Body Dolphin Basics	Set up as 2–3 swimmers per lane at the wall. First 30 seconds: demo standing on deck—chest presses down, hips follow, knees stay soft. In-water progression: 10 seconds holding the wall in streamline, face in, make small body dolphins. 3 x push to mid-pool: streamline body dolphin (no board), stop when the wave breaks. 2 x 12.5 on the surface: hands at sides, body dolphin, eyes down. Cues: “Chest down first.” “Hips follow.” “Small wave, not a big jump.” Common issue: They bend knees a lot and the feet fly out wide. Fix: Have them squeeze ankles together for the next rep and aim the splash straight behind them.
0:23–0:33	Dolphin Kick Positions	Use the lane line as a guide: keep bodies straight and narrow. Run this as short 12.5s so they can repeat good shape. 2 x 12.5 dolphin kick on front (streamline) 2 x 12.5 dolphin kick on back (arms at sides or streamline if they can) 2 x 12.5 dolphin kick on side (one arm extended, one at side; switch sides each rep) Watch for: On back/side, hips should stay near the surface—if they sink, the kick is too big or they’re bending at the waist. Adjustment if they’re struggling: put fins on for one round to feel steady speed, then take fins off and keep the same small kick.
0:33–0:36	Water Break And Quick Reset	Water break at the wall. Use this as your correction window: ask two questions—“Where does the wave start?” and “What does the breath look like?” Answer you want: “Chest.” “Chin forward, low.” Coach move: Pick one swimmer to demo a great narrow kick for 5 seconds so the group sees it.
0:36–0:51	Single-Arm Butterfly Progression	This is the main teaching period. Set up two start points if lines are long: half the lane starts at the wall, half starts at the flags going in. Keep reps to 12.5 or 15m max. How it runs on the clock: 3 rounds of about 4 minutes each, plus a 1-minute reset between rounds. Round 1 = right arm only. Round 2 = left arm only. Round 3 = single-arm with low recovery. In each round, send swimmers every 20–25 seconds from each start point—aim for 4–6 reps per swimmer per round. Swimmers waiting do 10 seconds of wall body-dolphin, then reset in line. Give one cue per round only. Right arm only, left arm extended out front. Breathe to the front with the right pull. Left arm only, right arm extended out front. Single-arm with recovery low: elbow relaxed, hand skims forward; no big swing. Cues: “Kick-kick, pull.” “Chin forward, eyes down.” “Hands enter, then kick.” Watch for: Hips staying up when they breathe—if hips drop, the head is coming up too high or too late. Common issue: They pause the kick when they think about the arm. Fix: Make them do 5 seconds of continuous dolphin at the wall, then immediately swim the rep while you count “one-two” for the kicks. Small challenge if they’re ready: add a two-hand touch finish on every rep so they start learning the wall habit early.
0:51–1:01	Breath Timing And Two-Kick Rhythm	Keep this controlled: short repeats with plenty of rest so they can feel timing. Use fins only if you need to stabilize the rhythm. 6 x 12.5 as: 3 strokes single-arm fly (breath each stroke) + easy freestyle to wall 4 x 12.5 as: 2 full butterfly strokes (two kicks per stroke) + easy freestyle to wall Cues: “Breathe as the hands finish.” “Chin slides forward.” “Kick on entry, kick on pull.” Fix on deck: If they’re lifting, stand at mid-lane and physically show “forward” with your hand, not “up.” Then re-send immediately.
1:01–1:10	Butterfly Open-Turn Basics	Use the shallow end so you can stand close and correct touches. Run as quick wall reps, not full swims. From 5m out: 2–3 body dolphins into the wall, two-hand touch. Knees to chest, turn, feet plant, tight streamline. Push off on the back or side, then 2–3 dolphin kicks before surfacing. Watch for: Two hands hit together—no one-hand “save.” Common issue: They touch, then stand up or grab the gutter. Fix: Make them redo the last 3m and freeze the two-hand touch for one full second before turning. If they’re ready, let them add one single-arm butterfly out of the breakout, then easy freestyle.
1:10–1:15	Cool-Down And Recap	Easy 100 choice (mix free/back) with long strokes and relaxed breathing. Keep it calm—this is where you get buy-in for next time. At the wall, recap with three quick call-and-response checks: “Wave starts where?” → “Chest.” “Breath goes?” → “Forward and low.” “How many kicks per stroke?” → “Two.” Tell them what you’ll look for next practice: “Same kick, plus a little more full stroke—only if the breath stays low.”

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What You'll Need#

Short-blade swim fins (8–12 pairs to share)
Kickboards (6–10)
Pull buoys (4–6)
Swim snorkels (optional, 2–4)
Pace clock or large deck clock
Lane lines and backstroke flags

Running The Main Skill Block Without Losing Form#

Your most important coaching window today is the single-arm butterfly progression. Keep the reps short and the feedback immediate. I like a “two reps then talk” rhythm: send two swimmers, watch only one body part (chest/hips or breath), then give a 6-second correction before the next two go.

Deck position: Stand at about the 7–10m mark so you can see the breath timing and whether hips drop when they inhale.
Rep standard: If their kick turns into a bicycle kick or the head lifts high, stop that rep at the wall and re-send with one cue. Don’t add yards to “toughen them up.”
Quick reset tool: After a messy rep, have them do 5 seconds of body dolphin holding the wall (arms straight, face in) to re-find the wave, then try again.

Common Breakdowns And Exactly What To Do#

Breakdown: Kick comes from the knees and splashes wide. Why it happens: They’re trying to “kick hard” instead of “kick small.” Fix: Put them on their back with arms at sides and tell them “toes whisper the surface.” If you see big splashes, make them squeeze a pull buoy lightly between thighs for 10 seconds (just to feel narrow legs), then remove it and retry.
Breakdown: Breath is a big lift and hips sink. Why it happens: They wait too long to breathe and panic at the end of the pull. Fix: Cue “chin forward, eyes down.” Have them do 3 single-arm strokes breathing every stroke on the working arm, then 3 strokes no-breath, then switch arms. The contrast teaches control.
Breakdown: One kick per stroke (or random kicking). Why it happens: They’re thinking about arms and forget the rhythm. Fix: Count it out loud on deck: “Kick-kick, pull.” If they miss it, put fins on for one round so they can feel the timing, then take fins off and keep the same count.
Breakdown: They reach the wall and touch with one hand, then stop. Why it happens: Butterfly is tiring and they’re searching for a break. Fix: Make the rule: “Two hands or it doesn’t count.” If they miss the touch, they immediately redo the last 5 meters with a two-hand finish.

Adjustments For Space, Equipment, And Mixed Ability#

If you have one lane and short lines: Run everything as a single group and send every 10–15 seconds. You can give more individual feedback; keep the rest active with wall-body-dolphin while they wait.
If you have two lanes: Split by comfort level (not speed). One lane does more fins work; the other does more no-fins control. Rotate lanes halfway through the main block.
If lines get long and swimmers are standing around: Convert the main block to stations: (1) dolphin kick on back to the flags and back, (2) single-arm fly to mid-pool, (3) open-turn reps at the wall. Rotate every 3–4 minutes so nobody stands still.
Limited equipment: If you don’t have fins for everyone, fins become a “coach’s tool” for 1–2 reps only. If you don’t have kickboards, use streamline kick or hands at sides—both are better for learning body dolphin anyway.
Swimmer can’t do butterfly arms yet: They still participate by doing body dolphin + two-hand touch + streamline push. Give them a target like “3 clean waves to the wall” instead of sitting out.
When it gets chaotic: Blow one whistle, everyone holds the wall. Give one sentence: “Next rep is only about narrow kick.” Then restart with a clear send order (point to each swimmer) so you don’t get pile-ups.

What To Do Next Practice#

Next time, keep the same body dolphin and kick work, then add a short “3-3-3” drill (3 right single-arm, 3 left single-arm, 3 full strokes) only if the breath stays low. The first thing that will break down is the breath timing—so plan to revisit “chin forward, eyes down” early, before they’re tired.

Frequently Asked Questions#

How many butterfly strokes should beginners actually do in a 75-minute practice?▾

Keep it low and high-quality: think 40–80 total butterfly strokes per swimmer, mostly single-arm and short 6–12.5m pieces. If form is slipping, cut the distance and add rest.

What if a swimmer can’t coordinate two kicks per stroke yet?▾

Don’t force full stroke. Put them on fins for 1–2 reps and count “kick-kick-pull” out loud. Then go back to single-arm fly with the non-working arm out front so the rhythm is simpler.

We only have one lane. How do I keep lines short?▾

Use two start points (shallow end and at the flags) and run half-length reps. While one group swims, the next group does 10 seconds of wall body-dolphin so nobody is just standing.

What’s the quickest way to teach butterfly breathing without the head lift?▾

Single-arm fly breathing every stroke on the working arm, with the cue “chin forward, eyes down.” If they lift, make them breathe later (as the hand is finishing the pull) and immediately return eyes to the bottom.

Should I teach a butterfly open turn this early?▾

Yes, but keep it simple: two-hand touch every time, knees in, feet plant, streamline push, then 2–3 dolphins. It prevents bad habits like one-hand finishes and panic-gliding into the wall.