Swimming: Stroke Development Breaststroke

Body Position Following the leg kick your body will be stretched out and streamlined lying flat in the water at which point the pull commences and the lifting of the head and shoulders takes place to breath.

Pulling Pattern From the stretched streamlined position both hands press out and round in a small circular action in front of the shoulders.

Kicking Action Simultaneous kick bringing the feet towards your seat. Turning the feet out kick round and back in a circular pattern and bring the feet and legs together again as the body stretches out.

Breathing Lifting the head clear of the water and to the front of the stroke during the arm action and before each kick.

Body Position Following the leg kick your body will be stretched out and streamlined with your face in the water at which point the pull commences and the lifting of the head and shoulders takes place to breath. The body will rise and fall in relation to the kick, pull and breathing pattern.

Pulling Pattern From the stretch position press the water with your hands outwards and slightly downwards pushing your upper arm, forearm, wrist and hand out sideways just wide of the shoulders. The hands lead the forearm in a downwards and inwards circling action bringing the hands close together under and in front of the chin with the hands facing each other continuing with immediate forward recovery of the hands to full stretch and the starting position for the next stroke cycle.

Kicking Action Recovery of the feet from the extended position is achieved with the knees bent drawing the heals up close to your seat and bringing the knees in line with the hips little more than hip width apart. Both feet then flatten and turn out into a frog like position, kicking back, round and slightly downwards with your soles pressing on the water until the legs are almost straight. The feet will be pointed as they finish together and the legs fully extended.

Breathing Once in each stroke cycle to the front as the hands and arms pull before the kick. Inhale during the arm pull and exhale with face on the water during the stretch and glide position.

Timing From the fully extended streamlined position the arms pull, the breath is taken, the arms begin to recover, the legs recover and kick back to the full stretch position. Pull, Breath, Kick, Stretch.

Turns Always touch the wall with both hands. Lift the knees towards the chest and place your feet on the wall after the hands make contact. Push one hand forwards cutting underwater and point this arm in the direction you wish to swim. The trailing arm will move over the water surface at which point start to push off the wall with your legs. Hold a streamline position underwater for two seconds and execute one arm stroke by pulling back past your hips then kick once as the hands are pushed to the front of the stroke. The breaststroke leg kick sends you up towards the surface, hold the stretch position until you reach the surface and resume full stroke.

Timing From the stretched streamlined position the hands and arms pull during which action the breath is taken followed by the kick followed by a stretch, returning again to the streamlined position.

Turns Always touch the wall with both hands and lift the knees towards the chest and place your feet on the wall after the hands make contact then push one hand forwards underwater pointing in the direction you wish to swim. The other arm will move over the water surface. Start to push off the wall with your legs. Hold a streamline position following the push off the wall keeping hands and feet together before you resume full stroke.

Elite Body Position Following the leg kick at the end of the recovery phase of the stroke when the arms and legs are stretched out your body will be lying flat in the water in a streamlined position with feet and toes pointed, hips are held high with your face in the water, the hands will be together with palms facing slightly outwards, at this point of the stroke the pull commences and the lifting of the head and shoulders takes place to breath. The body will rise and fall in relation to the kick, pull and breathing pattern creating undulation and wavelike flow through the stroke cycle.

Elite Pulling Pattern From the stretch position press the water with your hands outwards and downwards pushing your upper arm, forearm, wrist and hand out sideways just wide of the shoulders and no more than twice shoulder width. The hands then lead the forearm in a downwards and inwards circling action bringing the hands close together under and in front of the chin on the water surface with hands facing each other, continue with immediate recovery of the hands forward to the starting position for the next stroke cycle. The palms of the hands must be continually fixed on the water as a continuous scull rather than a pulling action. The complex breaststroke pull has three main phases, Out-Sweep, In-Sweep & Up-Sweep and Recovery. a) The Out-Sweep Phase will occur with the palms of the hands facing outwards at approximately 40 degrees and fixed in the water approximately 20 centimetres below the water surface. The hands are pushed outwards to no more than twice shoulder width. During the out-sweep, the hands will have a projection of outwards and slightly upwards towards the water surface. b) The In-Sweep Phase is more powerful than the outsweep. Apply twice as much power during the in-sweep phase of the stroke. Do not pull the hands too far back during the in-sweep, simply change the angle of your hands from 'Out' to 'In' and bring hands together at approximately 40 degrees through the water once again. Hands, forearms and elbows are pressed in towards the chest with the pitch of the hands lifting up to the water surface. You will be lifted clear of the water surface by this action due to the generated power. The in-sweep produces the most propulsion within the stroke cycle. As the handsm come together during the in-sweep the breath is taken with the face well clear of the water surface. Hands, forearms and elbows will always remain in front of the chest. Do not allow the elbows to finish wide outside the body line. c) The Recovery Phase. Following the in-sweep and simultaneously, the hands are pushed forwards at very high speed. This is called the 'Recovery Phase' and is executed with the hands starting almost on the water surface and travelling to approximately 20cm below the surface and rising again at the front of the stroke as you stretch forwards. The hands will finish at a 40 degree angle in the water with palms facing outwards and fixed in the water just below the surface, arms will be fully extended in a streamline position ready to start the out-sweep once again.

Elite Kicking Action From the extended position concentrate on lifting your heels up to your seat and turn out your ankles as they reach the highest point. As the feet recover to your seat keep the knees behind the line of the hips, little more than hip width apart. Lift of the knee towards the chest under the body should be avoided. Both feet then kick back, round and slightly downwards with your soles pressing on the water. Avoid one leg kicking deeper than the other. Turning out your ankles is the most important part of the breaststroke kick. A screw kick on breaststroke, whereby one foot is turning outwards and the other inwards is a common problem producing poor propulsion. Develop and execute total symmetry and balance and finish the kicking action with both feet whipping together and toes pointing down to the opposite end of the pool. The kick builds with speed throughout and is often referred to as a 'whip kick'. Work on ankle flexibility to improve correct kicking action.

Dive Stand firmly on the poolside with toes around the front edge. Place hands to the side or front of the legs; Hands & Fingers will secure body position with body weight very slightly forwards Dive out down the pool to full stretch; At the highest point of the dive drop the head toward s the water surface, the whole body then enters through the same point of contact on the water surface which the hands, arms and head has cut as if you were diving through a hoop; Come out of this position and into a streamlined position following entry into the water in order for the body to become streamlined; Hold a streamlined position underwater and execute one breaststroke arm pull past your hips and one full leg kick as the hands recover forward s underwater, the head then breaks the water surface to breath, ensure the leg kick helps the body to the water surface. It is possible to find greater speed whilst underwater due to good s t reamlining and momentum. A slightly deeper dive is required for breaststroke giving depth to achieve the pull and kick action. Never dive into shallow waters.

Breathing Once in each stroke cycle to the front as the hands press inwards during the arm pull just before the feet kick outwards and backwards. As the legs finish the kick cycle, ensure to exhale with face in the water throughout the stretch when the feet come together.

Timing From the fully extended streamlined position the arms pull, the breath is taken, the arms then begin to recover, the legs recover and kick back to the full stretch position. Develop the optimum power production within each stroke for a given speed by identifying your individual stroke count and stroke rate. The relationship of stroke length should be identified with the above and varies with each individual and event requirements. Develop optimum feel for the water by the amount of resultant and propulsive force that you apply for a given speed and find true efficiency.

Turns Always touch the wall with both hands. Lift the knees towards the chest and plant your feet on the wall as the hands make contact. Push one hand forwards cutting underwater and point this arm in the direction you wish to swim. The trailing arm will move over the water surface and start to cut into the water, 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 the kick is executed and sends the body to the surface in the stretch position before you resume full stroke.