Breaststroke - Drills

Important Note to the Viewer

LESSONS: 116 VIDEOS

Turns - Staggered Hand Open Turn

In this video, we demonstrate the risk that swimmers may be taking when performing a staggered hand positioning on their open turns. We came upon this through recent video evaluations in which we're starting to see this more and more, with very similar results. While we can't share the evaluation videos as those are private to the athlete, we had our swimmer go through a short series of increasing intensity turns. Our suggestion is to have both hands level, but we understand some coaches will want their own options. We're only reporting what we see in our regular day-to-day work and suggesting that an approach that has a better chance of legality be used. To see our newest progression of teaching open turns, click here.

Breaststroke - Underwater Pullout Hand Recovery

Cleaning up the underwater recovery in breaststroke can help you maintain momentum. Why do it: The recovery of the arms and legs in the underwater pullout is the most disruptive move in competitive swimming. Some swimmers focus on keeping the hands close, but the elbows are wide. Other swimmers try to keep the elbows close, but the hands are too far away. Keeping both elbows and hands close is the real answer. How to do it: 1 - Keep the elbows against your side and slide your hands underneath your torso. 2 - You can stack the hands on top of each other, slicing them forward. 3 - You can stagger the hands, one following the other, slicing forward. How to do it really well (the fine points): Have a finish target, don’t just throw the hands forward without a path. One option is to keep the hands close enough to pass by the side of the face or feel them close to the ears as you reach toward the extension. Click here to learn more about the breaststroke underwater pullout

Breaststroke - Medball Kick

In developing a narrow breaststroke kick, we typically default to using the strap to keep the legs together. Here’s another option. Why do it: The biggest problem with breaststroke is the recovery of the kick. With the athlete’s desire to feel a big push, too often, they recover the feet too high, or too wide. A narrow and small kick creates less resistance in the setup and requires less propulsion to keep things moving forward. How to do it: 1 - We use a very small, sand-filled medball. The sand filled medballs sink if dropped and require a very tight squeeze to keep between the legs. 2 - Understand that this drill is NOT about body position, but just the squeeze of the legs while kicking. 3 - Maximum distance should be a 25, IF THAT. 4 - After the swimmer has done a 25 or two, have them just take a couple of kicks, and the drop the medball. 5 - After they release the medball, the squeeze required to hold it between the legs should also help them feel the narrow kick. How to do it really well (the fine points): First, this is NOT an easy drill. Have the swimmer push off easy, or the medball may pop out right away. Also, NO LOTION! If the swimmer has lotion on, it’s just not going to happen (or very slim chance). Per usual with breaststroke kick, if there is any knee pain, stop doing it. Also pay specific attention to the groin, as this will require a lot of work... which is an additional benefit for breaststrokers.

Breaststroke - No Underwater Pullout

The beautiful underwater breaststroke pull... it’s long... it flows... it’s relaxing... and IT CAN STOP YOU. After thousands of breaststroke video evaluations, we’ve named the recovery of the breaststroke underwater pull as the MOST disruptive movement in the entire sport of competitive swimming. Mostly, this means, you better be focusing on it, or it will cause you to come to a complete stop in the water. But... is there another option? Why do it: We saw another case of skipping the underwater pull at the SEC Championships last week, and here’s an article from 2016 describing another instance where it was used effectively. Skipping the breaststroke underwater pullout can have multiple benefits, but we’ll just focus on 2. First, you may be able to maintain better velocity. Second, you’ll get more air. How to do it: 1 - It’s actually very simple. Push off the wall and do a dolphin kick like you off every other wall. 2 - Take the first pull of breaststroke and start swimming. How to do it really well (the fine points) If you’ve been practicing normal underwater pullouts, you’ll need to make sure you push off more shallow than you usually do. If you go too deep, waiting to get back up to the surface will cause you to lose that momentum you’re fighting for. Also, watch the head position. With younger, aggressive swimmers, this shortened action may cause them to attack too quickly and lift the head. Keep the head down until the insweep of the first stroke. If you’re swimming a very short race, like a 50 on a relay, you may also opt to skip the breath on the turn. You’ll be getting to air very soon anyway, so that’s just an option to work on. This is also a massive benefit for “aging swimmers”. Let’s say you’re a 57-year-old Masters swimmer with good underwater pulls. Maybe you don’t (or can’t) want to go that far off every wall. This gets you to air more quickly. Will this work for you? The ONLY way to determine if a non-traditional technique for swimming will work for you is to experiment. Have your coach time you to a point, and try both ways... over and over again. Balance that out with the addition strokes you’ll take, and the additional breath you’ll get. Also factor in the pause, loss of momentum, or stopping that may occur in your own underwater pullout. Getting back up to speed also takes energy. There is no easy answer, but at least there are now more options.

Turns - Slow down to go faster

The ultimate fast turn isn’t for everyone. While we tend to only focus on how to achieve the fastest rotation, or spend the shortest amount of time on the wall, that may not be the fastest way to finish your race. Why do it: Who would this be for? Think of young swimmers and masters swimmers who are attempting a 200 butterfly for the first time. While it’s not the fastest turn, we have to remember, the ultimate goal is finishing comfortably and with good form. One way to do that is to NOT swim so much. How to do it: 1 - Practice your breaststroke or butterfly turn the way you normally do, staying very low and tight. 2 - Now start to slow down. 3 - Try various speeds, looking to discover the perfect balance between getting enough air for a great push off, and not stopping on the wall! 4 - The goal of a slower turn is to get more air for a better push off. 5 - When you’re approaching the wall, think about making sure all of your air is out, so you can completely fill your lungs with air prior to the push. How to do it really well (the fine points). For this plan to make ANY sense, you HAVE TO HAVE A GREAT PUSH OFF! You can’t have a slow turn AND a short push off. You’re sacrificing the quickness of the turn to get more air so you can spend more time in your underwater dolphins or a proper underwater breaststroke pull. Turn slower but be AMAZING on your push off!

Breaststroke - Head Position

See many other videos on breaststroke body position here. So many young swimmers, with their tremendous flexibility and effort, can sometimes try too hard to get in to the right breaststroke position. This can cause the head to create more resistance than it needs to. Why do it: Learning a better head position allows you to travel farther, faster, with less effort. How to do it: 1 - During the breaststroke pullout, it’s very common for swimmers to focus on the “shrug”, but mistake this for a chin tuck. 2 - When doing your breaststroke pullout, focus on the head position in the streamline, and instead of allowing the chin to tuck as the arms pull down... 3 - Make sure the head remains in the exact same position as when you’re in the streamline. How to do it really well (the fine points): This also carries forward to your swimming breaststroke. Sometimes, if the tendency of tucking the chin in set up at the beginning of the length, it carries through to every stroke. By learning where the proper position of the head is, hopefully the swimmer will carry that better position forward into each stroke.

Breaststroke - Kick Recovery Awareness

For more breaststroke kick videos, follow this link. When working with developing swimmers on their breaststroke kick, it’s important that they focus as much on the resistance they create as the propulsion they produce. Why do it: By focusing on reducing the resistance, you can build a more efficient stroke. How to do it: These steps can be done as a progression or a quick one off just to remind the swimmer to think about the recovery angle of the thighs. 1 - Wall Kick. Keeping the body as flat as possible against the wall recovering the feet behind the body line. 2 - Kick on Back with Board. Holding the board on the surface of the water and having the swimmer avoid hitting the board too hard with the recovering legs. 3 - Streamline Kick on Back. Maintain the focus of recovering the feet behind the body and not allowing the knees to pop too much out of the surface. 4 - Head Lead Breaststroke Kick. Only for short distances underwater, try to get the swimmer to recover the feet until they touch the hands, but keep them focusing on the feeling of resistance of the thighs. This drill is to build the awareness of the thighs coming forward. 5 - Head Lead Breaststroke Kick, Hands in Front. Same as above, only for short distances underwater. Have the swimmer move the hands to the front of the thighs to become more aware of the act of tucking the thighs rather than drawing the feet up behind. 6 - Thigh Kick to Position 11. Use the previous step to get the swimmer thinking about the recovery of the thighs, and then move the arms to position 11 for a few more kicks. Keep thinking about the recovery of the thighs when the hands move forward. 7 - Position 11 Kick to Swim. Take a few kicks underwater in Position 11 focusing on the resistance of the recovering thighs. Allow the body to float up to the surface and swim a few strokes of breaststroke thinking of the leg recovery. How to do it really well (the fine points): Keep playing and remind the swimmers that avoiding resistance is sometimes MUCH more important than focusing on propulsion. Especially when they get tired at the end of a race.

Breaststroke - Egg Beater Kick

Here's a good old fashioned drill known by waterpolo players everywhere, that can awaken the inner shin and ankle for a better breaststroke kick. Why do it: Because all of the other kicks interact with the top and bottom of the foot, sometimes this simple drill can show swimmers that the INNER part of the foot, ankle and shin are needed for a good breaststroke kick. How to do it: 1 - Start with a gentle sculling with the hands. Alternate a single kick with the inside of the foot pushing down. 2 - Keep the back straight, and try to avoid the swimmers leaning forward. Stay vertical with the feet pushing the body UP. 3 - Gradually raise the hands to increase the pressure on the kick. How to do it really well (the fine point): Slowing keep the hands moving upward, until the elbows are completely out of the water. Make sure the swimmer maintains the body alignment, teaching the downward press of the foot. The rate of the alternating action of the feet should increase as the hands get farther above the surface of the water.

Breaststroke - Smaller Kick Faster Rate

For a TON more breaststroke kick videos, click here To create your Free account to go swim, click here If you're going to sprint breaststroke, think about getting your kick out of the way. Why do it: We all know that reducing the size of the breaststroke kick, reduces the amount of resistance it creates. But to take advantage of that advantage, turn up the rate. How to do it: 1 - There's no magic in this (or in any other drill). Just keep telling the swimmer to reduce the size of the kick until they almost can't feel it. 2 - If the swimmer really overdoes it, the kick may look like a dolphin kick with a little flair out of the feet at the end. 3 - Continue to reduce the kick and encourage the swimmer to make it smaller. How to do it really well (the fine points) The advantage of this can be, that the recovery of the kick allows the swimmer in INCREASE the rate of each stroke. Shift their focus to the front of the stroke, the catch, and start to increase the rate while encouraging them to remember the small kick. You're fighting instinct here, the athlete's desire to grab or push as much water as possible, rather than smoothly flowing from one small stroke to the next, quickly. The ONLY way to find the right size of the kick and the right rate for your race... is to keep experimenting.

Breaststroke - Long Stroke

The goal of this drill is NOT necessarily to encourage an incredibly slow rate breaststroke, but rather a to learn how to get as much as possible out of each stroke. Why do it: Determining how few strokes you need to get to the other end requires maximizing propulsion while minimizing resistance... in all phases. How to do it: 1 - Starting with a great, long, underwater pull, swim lengths of breaststroke taking as few strokes as possible. 2 - Feel the resistance that's created in the recovery phases of the underwater pull, and especially the draw of the legs for the kick. How to do it really well (the fine points): Anton and Pavel, have incredible lines at the BACK of their stroke. Don't just focus on the arms and head, but make sure you're pointing your toes to the maximum to limit any resistance loose feet will create at the back of the stroke.

Breaststroke - Underwater Pull Rate

Check out more breaststroke underwater pull videos When we teach swimmers how to do a proper breaststroke underwater pull, it's not just about the sequence, it's about the timing. Why do it: This is a simple way to not just teach swimmers the underwater pull, but to teach them everything has a "system". The younger we can teach swimmers that greatness isn't luck, but rather a plan, the better chance they have. How to do it: 1 - We've been showing it through the introduction. We're using a Tempo Trainer and starting the rate at 1:60. 2 - The swimmer submerges, and pushes on the first beep. 3 - They initiate the dolphin kick on the 2nd beep. 4 - Pull the arms down on the 3rd beep. 5 - Recover the arms and legs on the 4th beep. 6 - Swim on the 5th beep.... all in the same rhythm. How to do it really well (the fine points): Drop the time :05 on each attempt, until you find the rate that's just right for the race you're swimming. It will be different for a 50 than it will be for the 200. Many swimmers can't FEEL the right rate, so teach them to find it. Some will be better than others, so find the one with the best overall appearance, and start to build again from there.

Breaststroke - Radical Cobra

Every swim coach and teacher knows that sometimes getting the athlete to do what you want them to do, takes radical attempts. Why do it: Radical moves mean you're going to over teach something with the hope the goal will be illustrated within that action. In this case, drawing the hips forward to set up the kick. How to do it: 1 - Have the swimmer lay flat on the surface and initiate a breaststroke pull to draw the hips forward. 2 - In this radical first step, to assure the hips coming forward, have the swimmer aim the recovering hands to the sky, or very high. 3 - This really doesn't have as much to do with the direction of the hands, but rather the over teaching action that will cause the target action to happen, drawing the hips forward. 4 - Gradually lower the where the hands aim and slowly introduce the kick. How to do it really well (the fine points) Don't be shy about asking the swimmer to do something radical. If you've ever tried to get a swimmer to stop over reaching on backstroke, you understand this concept. These more radical actions need to isolate a specific action, and that action needs to be focused on through the gradual process back to a normal stroke... again, in this case, only focusing on drawing the hips forward to set up the kick.