if you are still doing swim lesson breaststroke, then you aren’t an elite breaststroker. Breaststroke is the Tango of swimming, using timing, acceleration, and bodyline (TAB) for maximal propulsion.
Frustrated 3/4 IMers have struggled to find an adequate breaststroke for years, attempting to do a full fly kick in their stroke to compensate for the absentee breast kick. As officials attempt to restrict the stroke and pull-out, non-natural breaststroke swimmers must learn the key components of the stroke for a better breaststroke.
Breaststroke requires grabbing water with your hands, maintaining forward momentum, then gliding without a decrease in forward propulsion.
There are different philosophies on breaststroke to either maximize undulation, or use a wider kick for those with massive amount of hip range of motion. Unfortunately, only a few swimmers have the physical characteristics of a ‘natural’ breaststroker.
If you weren’t built with the tools to do the splits, don’t worry I’m here to help! This article will break down breaststroke and help discuss methods to improve sticking points in the stroke to becoming a better breaststroker.