How To Swim Breaststroke?

Breaststroke. How To Swim Breaststroke? Stroke Correction For Breaststroke. Contact Swim Best Swim School To Improve Breaststroke.

How To Swim Breaststroke?

Breaststroke

Step 1: Body position

How to Swim Breaststroke – Your body position should be as flat and horizontal in the water as possible with your shoulders and hips all inline.In the breaststroke you will be on your front and your head will be tilted slightly back to allow you to breathe, so your legs will drop more than in front crawl, but try to maintain as flat a position as possible to keep yourself streamline.

 

Step 2: Leg Action

Good breaststroke kick minimizes drag and maximizes propulsion. To minimize your frontal drag think about bringing your feet towards your bum, rather than your knees towards your chest. Ankles and feet need to be as relaxed as possible.

An important point to remember is keeping your feet in a dorsi-flexed position (flat-foot) whilst doing the breaststroke kick for more thrust. Then as you initiate your kick, turn your feet out. This will allow your ankles, knees, and hips to externally rotate as you begin your kick, helping you to ‘catch’ the maximum amount of water, driving you forward.

Once you’ve completed your kick, bring your feet together and point backwards and not down to complete your streamlined position for super-charged gliding.

 

Step 3: Arm Movement

The arm action for breaststroke uses both arms at the same time. You’ll begin with your arms fully extended, palms down in the water. When the arms begin to pull, they first move outwards, backward and downwards until the arms are bent 90 degrees, the elbows are at shoulder level, and the upper arms and hands are in line and pointing downwards.

In the second phase of the arm pull, the arms move further back. The upper arms move to the sides of the body, while the hands move towards each other under the chest. At the same time, the upper body rises out of the water until it is inclined at 40 -45 degrees. When the hands meet under the chest, push through the water with your finger tips, the arms are extended forward in a line to return to the starting position. At the same time, the body returns to a horizontal position.

 

Step 4: Breathing Technique

It is about timing, it is important to breathe in as you are through the pulling phase of the stroke, which will lift you upwards and head clear the water in order to take a breathe through the mouth.

Exhalation begins as soon as the head is submerged in the water again during the arm recovery phase and exhale under the water through the glide. Exhalation should continue as long as the head is underwater so that the lungs are empty just before the head emerges.

Breathing should be relaxed and not forced, the same when exhaling.

 

Step 5: Learn to Glide

Once you’ve completed your kick,  your body should be in a streamlined position with your arms and legs straightened, feet together and point backwards and not down.

Stay in this position for one to two seconds as the forward propulsion by your legs should allow you for super-charged gliding.

 

Helpful Tips:

  • Do not rush through the gliding phase as it is actually the fastest part of the stroke.
  • Keep your feet in flat-footed position when performing the kick.
  • A smaller kick will create more thrust and less drag. Strive for the least knee-flexion and heel-separation as you position your feet for the kick.
  • You pull back in a small scoop like motion with elbows tucked into your side. Doing a big wide pulling circle will slow you down creating more drag.
  • On extension stay as relaxed as possible and allow yourself to glide and pull back just before slowing down.