Common Breaststroke Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Mistake #3: Improper Kick

There are at least eight common kicking flaws in breaststroke, most of which will result in a disqualification – a DQ – if not addressed and corrected.

The first common kicking flaw is when both feet fail to turn out and flex before the kick fires.  This is a DQ.

The second common flaw is when one foot doesn’t turn out.  This is known as a scissors kick and is a DQ.

A third common flaw is adding a dolphin kick at the end of the kick.  This is a DQ.

A fourth flaw – letting the knees go too wide – is not a DQ, but is just inefficient.  When the knees go wide, it causes massive amounts of resistance.

The knees can also be too close together.

Another common flaw is to pull the knees under the body on the recovery, creating excess resistance.  

Still another mistake is to have the feet turned out and flexed on the recovery.

And finally, when swimmers kick down excessively, they will increase drag.

Each of these mistakes can be fixed by using positioning techniques, mirrors, equipment, and drills.


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Mistake #3: Improper Kick