Breaststroke - Sarah Katsoulis

Important Note to the Viewer

LESSONS: 8 VIDEOS

Sarah Katsoulis 50 Breaststroke 1

Sarah swims a smooth 50 breast in 38.2. Watch how she gets to complete extension and underwater on each stroke. There was a bit of miscommunication on our part at the beginning of this 50, as she doesn't do a complete underwater pull to get started. It would have been just a bit faster had she done that.

Sarah Katsoulis 50 Breaststroke 2

Sarah swims a smooth 50 breast in 37.4. We start to get an idea of the importance of the separation drill for many swimmers. Watch how Sarah shoots the hands to extension prior to the kick.

Sarah Katsoulis 50 Breaststroke 3

Sarah swims a pace 50 breast in 35.8. Even as the speed and cadence increases, she continues to reach full extension on each stroke, and gets her eyes to a down position. Notice how you can see her goggles UNDER the arms on each stroke and how deep she is in the pull prior to her legs being drawn into the kick recovery.

Sarah Katsoulis 50 Breaststroke 4

Sarah swims a pace 50 breast in 34.4. When Sarah increases her tempo, all the parts of the stroke remain as consistent as when she's swimming slowly. She continues to reach full extension on each stroke, but doesn't hold the glide as long. Her eyes are down, but not for as long. She practices the same stroke she uses in racing and it's that consistency that helped her create such a long and successful swimming career.

Sarah Katsoulis Breaststroke Turn

Sarah's breaststroke turn shown from underwater from the side. - The head stays down as she approaches the wall. - Her toes stay extended and pointed as she draws them into the tuck. - The right hand barely taps the wall and is pulled back immediately. - She keeps her feet together all the way to the wall.

Sarah Katsoulis Turn and Underwater Pullout

Sarah's breaststroke turn and underwater pull shown from underwater. - Sarah leaves the wall and an angle down. - The feet slowly rise while she's still in streamline to prepare for the dolphin kick. - The dolphin kick is initiated just after her hands separate into the pull. - Her head remains in the same position through the entire underwater pull. - She recovers her hands first, and keeps them very close to her body. - The kick is initiated as the hands are mid-way through the recovery, and she kicks back into a head-down position.

Sarah Katsoulis Breaststroke Turn

Sarah's breaststroke turn shown from close up, above water. - She reaches to the wall AT water level, not too high, and not too low. - The right hand immediately releases from the wall and tucks toward her side. - The head stays very low, and is pushed back, down, and to the side. - The left hand pushes to help the roll, and then releases into the recovery. The entire turn is very low, and you can see how she's still catching air while most of the head is completely underwater.

Breaststroke - Turns - 3 Simple Points

When teaching young swimmers breaststroke turns, keep it simple, and focus on just a few key points. 1 - Keep the head low on the turn. Whichever way you get around to the push, keeping the head down will also keep the torso low and compact through the rotation. 2 - Point the toes as you draw them behind the body. Keeping the feet streamline as they draw in can help speed up the rotation of the entire body. 3 - Use the arm to push off the wall. Allowing the arm that remains in contact with the wall, to collapse a bit, can give a bigger push off, which can also spin the body a bit quicker.