**Common Breaststroke Mistakes and How to Fix Them**
**Mistake #6:  Breathing Mistakes**

**The problem: excessive movement of the neck and head**
**The fix: positioning techniques, demonstrations, and tools**

Common mistakes with head movement are bending the neck and rolling the head up to get a breath and dropping the head down as the hands scoop in.

One of the most effective ways to correct excessive head movement is to get in the water and gently control the movement of the head.

Demonstrations are also effective.  Here I’m using a Styrofoam head to show them exactly what they are doing.   The Head is incredibly effective because swimmers find it fascinating, and they seem to internalize what they see – without feeling like they’re being criticized or corrected.  They simply mimic whatever correct motion you show them.  

Here I’m having the swimmer use a tennis ball…to really get my point across.

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The problem: excessive movement of the neck and head