Swimming: Breaststroke

Following the leg kick after the hands have recovered forwards the body will be stretched out and lying flat in the water in a streamlined position with feet and toes pointed, hips are held high with your face in the water, hands are together with palms facing slightly outwards to keep a hold of the water; At this point of the stroke cycle the pull commences, the head and shoulders will lift and a large breath is taken. The body will rise and fall in relation to the kick, pull breathing patern creating a wave like undulating flow through the stroke cycle.

Stand firmly on the starting block with toes rapped around the front edge. Place hands to the side or front of the strating block; Fingers will secure starting position with body weight slightly forwards. Dive out down the pool to full stretch; Pike at the highest point within the dive whilst in the air by droping your head towards the water surface. The whole body then travels through the same point of contact which the hands have made for a streamlined entry into the pool. Never dive into shallow waters.

The whole body enters through the same point of contact on the water surface as if you were diving through a hoop. Following full body entry into the water, the body levels out and into a streamlined position; Hold this position underwater and execute one breaststroke arm pull past your hips and one full leg kick as the hands recover forwards underwater and reach for the surface; The head then breaks the water surface to breath as you start your first swimming stroke. Ensure the leg kick helps the body to the water surface. It is possible to find greater speed whilst underwater due to good streamlining and momentum from the dive. A slightly deeper dive is required for breaststroke giving depth to achieve the underwater pull and kick action. Never dive into shallow waters.

From the stretched streamlined position lift your heels up to your costume and turn out your ankles as they reach the highest point. On full recovery of the feet ensure the knees are behind the line of your hips. (Lift of the knees underwater towards the body should be avoided). Both feet then kick back, round and slightly downwards with the soles pressing and pushing on the water. Develop and execute total symmetry and balance and finish the kicking action with both feet whipping together and toes pointed. The kick builds with speed throughout and is ofetn refered to as a whip kick.

From the stretched streamline position, press the water outwards with your hands pushing your upper arm, forearm, wrist and hand out sideways wide of the shoulders and no more than twice shoulder width. The hands then lead the forearm in a downwards, inwards an upwards circuling action bringing the hands close together up to the water surface with palms facing inwards; Continue with immediate forward recovery of the hands to full stretch and the starting position once again. The palms of the hands will now be facing slightly outwards.

Breath once in each stroke cycle to the front as the hands press inwards and upwards during the arm pull, breath just before the feet kick outwards and backwards. As the legs finish the kick action, ensure to exhale with face in the water throughout the stretched streamline position.

Reach for the wall following the leg kick. Touch the wall with both hands and immediately lift the knees towards the chest and plant both feet on the wall. Push one hand forwards cutting underwater and point this arm in the direction you wish to swim as soon as the knees start to lift. The trailing arm will move over the water surface and cuts into the water with the hand to meet up with your leading arm, at which point you will start to push off the wall with your legs. With both hands underwater hold a streamlined position following the push off. Stay underwater to execute one arm stroke and pull back past your hips, the hands are then pushed forwards close to the chest to the front of the stroke. As the hands recover under the body the kick is executed and sends the body to the water surface in the stretched position, allow the head to break the surface before you resume full stroke swimming.

The hips stay high during every swim stroke and will lift even more so when the hands push forwards and the legs kick back. To ensure a high hip position place your face down on the water surface as you stretch forwards in the streamlined position; This creates a small wave like dolphin motion through the water and when executed correctly, a sense of swimming down hill will occur.