**Common Breaststroke Mistakes and How to Fix Them**
**Mistake #5: Timing Mistakes**

**The problem: pulling too soon**
**The fix: Double-Kick Breaststroke**

When a swimmer pulls too soon -- before completing the kick -- she creates resistance at the front end of her body.  She ends up having to use the kick to OVERCOME this resistance…rather than use it to send her forward.  

An effective drill for correcting an early pull is Double-Kick Breaststroke, sometimes called Breaststroke with an Extra Kick. 

Instruct the swimmer to stay slightly under the surface, with arms in breaststroke streamline, when they deliver the second kick. 

Some swimmers need to grab and lock their thumbs right after the extension of their hands to prevent them from going immediately into another pull.

Next, have them try regular breaststroke and ask them to see how far they can go with 3 complete cycles of breaststroke. This an exaggeration drill but it will teach them to glide. 

They can speed it up later.


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The problem: pulling too soon