How to Position the Head to Swim Breaststroke

The proper head position in breaststroke goes hand in hand with proper breathing. When swimming breaststroke, the body and head are in your basic streamline position. Keeping your movements tight and your head in the correct position changes your grandmother's breaststroke technique into a modern, competitive breaststroke technique.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start with an underwater pull and kick. As you kick, bring your arms forward into a streamline position with your arms fully extended, your hands touching and your head between your arms.

2. Pull both your hands back toward your chest simultaneously. This pressing motion raises your chest toward the top of the water.

3. Raise your head out of the water to take a breath. Your chin should be slightly tucked in toward your chest when out of the water and your gaze should be downward toward the water instead of straight ahead toward the wall.

4. Lower your head into the water as your arms are pushing forward.

5. Return to a streamline position. Your head should be resting between your arms, and you should be looking down at the bottom of the pool.

Tips & Warnings

• If you look forward toward the wall when taking a breath, you are raising your head too high, which slows down the stroke and makes it more difficult to return to a streamline position when reentering the water.
• Do not lift your chest out of the water with your head when taking a breath. Your head should come up only far enough to take a breath and then quickly return to a streamline position in the water.

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