Breaststroke - Basics with Steve Haufler

Important Note to the Viewer

LESSONS: 43 VIDEOS

Breaststroke Teaching Progression - Step #1

Breaststroke Teaching Progression Step 1: Teach Breaststroke Body Position When I teach breaststroke, I follow a 5-step teaching progression. Step 1 of the Progression is to teach Body Position, and to do this I start the swimmers on land. I have them stand out of the water with arms extended straight up and hands in the “missile position.” We use the term “missile position” to describe the breaststroke glide… …to distinguish it from a common streamline, where one hand is over the other. This is missile position. The arms are fully extended and the shoulders cover the ears. The chin is off the chest and the head is in a neutral position…eyes looking straight forward. The belly button is pressed in and the hips are tucked under. Engage the core and try to flatten the lower back. Next…take that position to the water with a coach-assisted missile glide position. I extend the swimmer’s arms, thumbs touching, so that the shoulders squeeze against the side of the head and cover the ears. I want her fingers forward with her hands angled down with a slight bend at the wrist. The head is in neutral and the eyes are looking straight down. I ask her to lean in on her chest a little, pressing it deeper into the water. The sternum will be the deepest part of the body. The body is in a horizontal line, straight forward, and her toes are pointed. I tell the swimmer that each stroke of breaststroke starts and finishes in this position. I give the swimmer a missile push so they can FEEL the glide.

Breaststroke Teaching Progression - Step #2

Breaststroke Teaching Progression Step 2: Teach Breaststroke Kick Breaststroke kick can be divided into two parts. Part one is the recovery. This is when the heels are drawn up toward the suit and the feet are turned out and flexed. Part two is the propulsive phase, when the feet and legs push back on the water. The legs pushing back will be described as the kick firing. To teach breaststroke kick, I start on land with ankle exercises. I want the swimmer to know what I mean by “flex, turn out, and point.” While sitting in an “L” position, we start by practicing just the POINT and FLEX. We practice FLEX and TURNOUT. Make a “V” with your feet. We practice ankle circles…POINT, FLEX, TURN OUT, and CIRCLE back to the POINT. I like to teach breaststroke kick first on the back… and then show techniques for teaching it on the front. Next we go to the edge of the pool. The swimmer sits on the side and extends her legs, from the knees down, over the water. Keeping her toes pointed, she drops her heels and toes down toward the wall. The lower legs “V-out” slightly, so they are now under the outer portion of the hips. The knees have separated a bit. Next, both feet simultaneously flex and turn out. Have the swimmer FREEZE in this position. Knees should be in line with the hips or slightly wider. Ankles should be wider than the knees. Toes should be wider than the ankles. While keeping their feet in this turned-out and flexed position, the swimmer should slowly push against the water with the instep of their feet and lower leg. Have them watch the water move away. The toes should return to a point as the legs come together and straighten…and not before. Practice this kick for a few minutes so the swimmer gets the feel of it. Assist when necessary. Next, take this to the water and have the swimmer try the kick and let them move their arms as if they were doing elementary backstroke. If the swimmer needs help floating, have them kick while holding a kickboard over the legs. Try kicking without a board with the hands by the side. Try kicking on the front with the arms still extended by the side. Many swimmers experience difficulty when they go from kicking on the back to kicking on the front. They may revert to a scissors kick or to sending the knees too wide. If this happens, return to kicking on the back until they develop muscle memory for an effective kick, then try again on the stomach. Next, try kicking in a missile position. For teaching the breaststroke kick on the front, I have the swimmer lie on their belly on a kickboard. First, I hold the lower legs with my fingers on top and my thumb underneath. I say “suit” as I bring her heels up toward her suit. The toes are still pointed and turned inward. The knees come apart just a little bit…no wider than her shoulders. Then I say “flex” as I help flex and turn her feet out. Freeze in this position and check the following. Are the knees slightly wider than the hips? Are the ankles wider than the knees? Are the toes wider than the ankles and pointed to the side walls? I then turn my hands palm up as I put my thumbs on her big toes. I put my fingertips on the top side of her feet. I’m putting some torque on her feet — turning them out and flexing them at the same time. Now I say “circle” as I rotate her lower legs back and around. The feet are like rotating propeller blades making a quarter turn I say “squeeze” as the feet come together. She points her toes. Next, bring the swimmer into the water and use a kickboard like this, making sure the eyes look down and the arms are straight with shoulders covering the ears. Assist with the motion of the kick. Have her try it by herself. Here she is doing the flex by herself and I’m controlling with width of her knees as she brings her heels up and as she begins extending her legs back. In the final step we take away the kickboard and she kicks in the missile position. She kicks three times with a long glide after each kick.

Step #3: Teach Breaststroke Pull

Breaststroke Teaching Progression Step 3: Teach Breaststroke Pull To teach breaststroke arm action, I start with the swimmer out of the water. I have her lie on her belly with arms extended over the water. Or, have the swimmer drape her arms over a laneline or a noodle…like this. Either way, her arms are extended straight, thumbs together, wrists slightly flexed and hands angled down. The arms are partially under water. She is in the “I” position…long and straight like the letter “I.” As her hands begin to press outward, the wrists flex and the palms face slightly back and outward. While keeping the arms straight, she presses water with her palms until she’s in a “Y” position…the body and arms make a shape like the letter ”Y.” From the “Y” position, the swimmer flexes the arms at the elbows in order to place the hands and forearms in a backward-facing position. This is the Early Vertical Forearm position for breaststroke pull. Elbows are in front of the shoulders. Forearms are vertical, with the fingers pointing down and with the hands in front of the shoulders. From the early vertical forearm position, the forearms begin to scoop in, up, and forward. Try to keep the wrists from bending as the hands change their pitch, with the thumb side slightly up. Be sure to keep the swimmer’s arms away from the wall on the scoop. Have them watch. The forearms are now parallel with the surface of the water as they move forward. This is the recovery phase of the pull. As the arms shoot forward, the palms will turn down as the arms extend into the missile glide position. She practices this head-up drill until she gets a good feel for it…and then it’s time to try the pull in the water. Start with the head down in a missile glide position. I remind her that each pull will start and end in this position. I assist her by rotating the thumb side of the hand down and pressing her arms out to a “Y” position. She freezes in this position. Next, I stand at her side and guide her arm into a vertical forearm. She freezes in this position. Then, I guide and pitch her hands in and up, guiding them through the scoop and shoot. She ends up in a missile glide position. Next, she tries it on her own and without breathing, but with a pause at the “Y” …and at the vertical forearm position. She does it without pausing…except in the glide position. This is a good time to have a mirror on the bottom of the pool. The swimmer can see what she is doing and self-correct if necessary.

Step #4: Teach Breaststroke Timing

Excellent timing in breaststroke results in decreased resistance. A swimmer wants to create as little resistance as possible from the legs when pulling, and as little resistance as possible from the arms when kicking. The goal is streamlined timing. Don’t start pulling until you finish your kick. And…have the front part of your body fully streamlined before the kick fires. To teach this timing, I start with Separation Drill. First, without breathing, she does the arms only…then the legs only. Understand that some swimmers will naturally do the correct timing when instructed to do separation drill. If this happens, just move on. You don’t need to teach this drill. However, if the swimmer does the separation drill correctly… …Tell them to start their legs sooner, as the arms start to move forward. This happens after the scoop and at the beginning of the shoot. This results in the propulsive phase of the kick beginning just as the hands reach extension. Be sure to give feedback. Some need to start their kick sooner; others need to start their kick later.

Step #5: Teach Breaststroke Breathing/Timing

To teach breaststroke breathing, I have the swimmer pull without breathing and ask them to be aware of the natural rise of the body that occurs on the scoop phase. We practice this without the kick. Next, after a demonstration, I ask them to breathe every other stroke, and without changing their head position when going to air. I tell them to feel the rise on the first non-breathing stroke and then, on the next stroke, just continue moving up and forward and out of the water for a breath. She should be taking the breath during the natural rise. I assist with the timing and head position, like this. I hold her head in line with her spine and raise her upper body as a unit during the scoop phase. The head rises and falls with the shoulders. There’s no need for an independent head action. One way to help the swimmer feel this is to have them swim breaststroke while holding a tennis ball under the chin. I tell her to pull her hips forward as she pulls and goes to air. I want her to feel there is a connection between her hands, head, and hips when going to air.

Step #6: Teach Full-Stroke Breaststroke

Review the missile glide position. Review the kick… Review the pull without breathing... Review the timing without breathing… Review the pull with breathing… Put it all together for complete breaststroke.

Underwater Pullout Teaching Progression - The Rule

Underwater Pullout Teaching Progression The Rule When you teach the breaststroke underwater pullout, it’s important to know the rules that apply to your swimmer. And it’s important to know that the rules may change from time to time. As of the publication of this video, the rule you need to know is that “From the beginning of the first arm stroke after the start and after each turn, the body shall be on the breast.” What this means for the swimmer is that she can push off slightly on her side, but when she initiates the first stroke – which is the pulldown – she needs to be flat on her stomach before the pull begins. The second rule to know is that…”After the start and after each turn, the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the legs during which the swimmer may be submerged. A single butterfly kick is permitted during the first arm stroke, followed by a breaststroke kick.” This is where there is room for variation, and in this chapter we’ll present three variations for your swimmer to try. The third rule to know when teaching the breaststroke pullout is that…”The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke.” The first arm stroke begins with the separation of the hands. A pause after the separation of the hands is not a violation of the rule. This interpretation requires observable separation to initiate the arm pull. No other action will initiate the arm pull. This interpretation requires ADDITIONAL separation if the swimmer starts or leaves the wall after a turn with the hands already separated. When teaching the underwater pullout, I follow a 5-step progression, starting with streamline. Then the pull down… Then recovery of the hands...the sneak… Then adding the kick… Then the breakout… I have 3 different timing styles for the dolphin kick for your swimmers to try. 1. Placing the dolphin kick near the end of the pullout. The kick snaps down as the arms are finishing. 2. Placing the dolphin kick when the swimmer’s arms are paused in “Position 11.” 3. Setting up the legs for a dolphin kick as the arms press to “11,” then delivering the downward dolphin kick just as the hands start to pull back. There’s not much pause in any of these steps.

Step #1: Streamline

Underwater Pullout Teaching Progression Step 1: Streamline Step 1 in teaching the breaststroke pullout is to practice a streamline, just standing…on the bottom or on land. Hand over hand with a firm thumb lock, arms fully extended, head in neutral position and arms covering the ears. Next we take it to a horizontal position in the water. I make sure the legs are together with toes pointed. The head is in a neutral position and the eyes are looking straight down. I make sure she can get into this kind of streamline and maintain it from a push-off. I have her practice for distance, but tell her FEEL for when she’s slowing down. By looking at the tiles on the bottom of the pool, a swimmer can see when she starts to slow down. Practice gliding for 3 seconds.

Step #2: Pull Down

Underwater Pullout Teaching Progression Step 2: Pull Down Step 2 of the breaststroke pullout is to Pull Down. When teaching the pulldown to beginning breaststrokers, I start on land in a standing streamline. As I demonstrate in front of them, I say “streamline, missile… press and hold at “11.” Now bend at the elbow and press your forearms until they are parallel to the ground…now pull and push to your legs. We also practice the recovery -- the sneak -- to get the arms back up to streamline, and then practice this multiple times…so they get the feel of the movement. When we go to the water I’ve learned to keep it as simple as possible for the swimmers. I don’t want them thinking too much. I want them to feel the water. I demonstrate… And then I say, “Streamline glide… and then pull both arms all the way to your legs. I just want you to move forward.” Give feedback. Tell them to stop at the “11” and then pull straight back to their legs. If they lead with their elbows, it’s best to tell them to pull back with straight arms. These swimmers will often bend their arms correctly when they think their arms are straight. Sometimes it’s best to move their arms through the correct movement. Then have them try it on their own. Practice gliding for 2 seconds, without doing the dolphin kick. The swimmer should be in a perfect, horizontal, head-leading streamline.

Step #3: Recover the Hands (the Sneak)

Underwater Pullout Teaching Progression Step 3: Recover the Hands (the Sneak) Step 3 in teaching the breaststroke pullout is to recover the hands. After the pull is completed and the hands are by the legs, the swimmer should bring the palms to the tops of the thighs and roll the shoulders inward. This narrows the body, decreases resistance, and sets up the body for a “sneaky” recovery that helps them maintain momentum. Right before the body begins to slow down from the pulldown, the hands should begin to recover forward. The arms bend at the elbow as the hands move inward toward the middle of the body. The elbows remain next to the ribs. The hands should move forward, thumb side first, and with the palms facing the body. The hands are flat and stay close to the body as they cross over each other at the belly button and proceed upward under the middle of the body. The hands move under the face and past the middle of the forehead as they extend into missile position. The hands have turned palm down as they reach full extension. We practice this recovery without adding the kick. The hands stay under and close to the body… The elbows stay tight to the sides… The head stays in a neutral position throughout the recovery and into the missile glide.

Step #4: Add the Kick

Underwater Pullout Teaching Progression Step 4: Add the Kick Step 4 in teaching the breaststroke pullout is to add the kick. Starting with the hands by the sides, the swimmer recovers the arms first, sneaking them up until she sees her hands, and THEN she begins to recover the legs. The kick fires when the hands are at full extension. The kick should be narrow and powerful. Minimize resistance by bringing the feet directly up while keeping the knees still and narrow. The swimmer must keep the head in a neutral position with the eyes looking down throughout the sneak, kick, and glide. Glide for 1 second. The swimmer is now ready for the breakout.

Step #5: Break Out

Underwater Pullout Teaching Progression Step 5: Break Out Step 5 in teaching the breaststroke pullout is the breakout. The swimmer should start the breakout stroke with the head in neutral, near the surface but still under water. The rule states that “The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the first regular stroke.” Practice this is by using a mirror. Place the mirror where the breakout stroke is most likely to occur. The swimmer watches her hands press out to the widest part of her first stroke. It’s at this point that the head must break the surface of the water – just before the hands turn inward to initiate the first “regular” stroke of breaststroke. The breakout stroke should be quick and powerful. This will help this swimmer establish their stroke rhythm immediately.