Swimming: Stroke Development Breaststroke

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.

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.

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.