Swim tracking guide
How to track butterfly PBs
Butterfly is the stroke where good pacing and conditioning show most clearly. It is demanding, and a race can change completely in the last few metres, which makes it a revealing stroke to track.
Direct answer
Track butterfly PBs across 50m, 100m and 200m, separated by distance and course. Butterfly is dominated by pacing and fatigue, so splits and the underwater phase off walls often explain progress more than the surface stroke alone.
What makes butterfly demanding
Butterfly needs a simultaneous arm recovery, a two-hand touch at the walls and finish, and a dolphin kick rhythm that ties the stroke together. Holding that rhythm as fatigue sets in is the central challenge.
Because it is so demanding, butterfly races can fall apart late. A swimmer who looks strong at halfway can fade sharply, which is exactly why tracking pacing matters here.
The events and the fade
The 50m is a held sprint where rhythm and finish matter. The 100m is where pacing starts to bite, and the 200m is a true test of holding stroke under fatigue.
Keep a PB per distance and course. The 200m especially rewards reading splits, because the story is usually how well the swimmer held the back half together.
Underwater and the two-hand touch
Underwater dolphin kicking off the start and turns, within the 15m limit, is a major source of butterfly time. Strong, legal underwaters can carry a swimmer when the surface stroke tires.
The two-hand simultaneous touch is also a common DQ point at turns and the finish, much like breaststroke, so it is worth noting if a swim is lost to a touch.
Tracking butterfly progress
PB Pathway keeps butterfly PBs per distance and course, with splits where they exist so you can see how well a swimmer holds pace. The pattern of fade or control over a season is the real progress story.
Reading the 100m and 200m through their splits, rather than the final time alone, shows whether conditioning and pacing are improving even before a new PB arrives.
FAQ
What butterfly events should I track?
The 50m, 100m and 200m, each separated by distance and course.
Why does pacing matter so much in butterfly?
Butterfly is demanding, so races often fade late. Splits show how well a swimmer holds the stroke together, which is the heart of butterfly progress.
Where does butterfly time come from off the walls?
Underwater dolphin kicking within the 15m limit off the start and turns is a major source of time, especially as the surface stroke tires.
Is butterfly prone to disqualifications?
The two-hand simultaneous touch at turns and the finish is a common DQ point, similar to breaststroke. Note it if a swim is lost to a touch.
How does PB Pathway track butterfly?
It keeps butterfly PBs per distance and course, with splits where they exist, so you can read pacing and control over a season.
Related resources
Swimming splits explained
What swimming splits are, how to read them, what even and negative splits show about pacing, and how to use them without adding pressure.
How to track individual medley PBs
How to track individual medley PBs, why per-stroke splits reveal strengths and weaknesses, and how the IM brings all four strokes into one event.
Why swimming times plateau
Common reasons swimming times plateau, from growth and technique to event changes and normal development, and how to read a plateau without panic.
What is short course swimming? Short course vs long course times
Understand short course swimming, long course swimming, 25m pools, 50m pools and why short course and long course PBs should be tracked separately.
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