How to Swim the Breaststroke

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Swim the Breaststroke

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This can be a relaxing and gliding swim stroke, or it can be a quick, intense motion if you're racing. It's accomplished by a strong pull, froglike kick and then a long glide. Practice these techniques to improve your breast stroke or to learn it properly for the first time.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Step1

Keep your legs close together and pull them up toward your chest. At the same time, hold your palms together and up against your chest, as if in prayer.

Step2

Kick out and apart with your legs, and then quickly squeeze them together. Try to imitate the way a frog kicks. After the kick, streamline your body by pointing your toes and extending your arms completely.

Step3

Glide for a moment with your arms fully extended, then turn your palms outward and pull with both hands out and around in a circular motion, so that they end up in their original position, together against your chest.

Step4

Use the thrust of the pull with your hands to pull your head up and out of the water to take a breath. As your head goes back down, your arms should be just beginning to plunge forward with the next kick.

Step5

Glide for a moment, and then repeat the entire motion.

Tips & Warnings

The glide is the most important aspect of this stroke. After the big kick, streamline your entire body as much as possible. Your shoulders should be almost against your ears. Glide, and then pull your head up and forward with your stroke.
If you have any condition that would impair or limit your ability to engage in physical activity, please consult a physician before attempting this activity. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

Comments

Swimteacher said

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on 6/25/2007 Doing the kick properly is the most important part of the breaststroke. When the head is up, let the hips drop. This keeps your knees from pushing water the wrong direction. Bring your feet up, causing your knees to bend at no more than a 45 degree angle. At the peak, pull your ankles up as you would if you were wearing heelies. As you whip your feet around in a circle, keep your knees closer together than your feet at all times until your legs are straight again. Practicing this with a noodle under your armpits is best as it keeps your upper body in the correct postion without having to work your arms too hard.

Anonymous said

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on 7/30/2006 It's is very important to finish your kick when you swim. Glide, too. But it really helps you go further and faster if you finish your glide. I recall my coach making me do 20 push-ups because I didn't do this, and the breaststroke soon became my best stroke!

Anonymous said

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on 7/27/2006 When you do the pull-out, remember to incorporate one powerful dolphin kick with the pull. The rules (NCAA/USA/FINA)changed recently, and this makes for a much faster pull-out.

Anonymous said

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on 1/27/2006 When you bring your hands back (to the recovery position) bring your hands on the surface of the water, not over and not under!

Anonymous said

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on 12/16/2005 I myself swim on a team at school. And I swim the breast stroke. The main problem I see, when people are doing this stroke wrong, is that they are doing the motions in the wrong order. The order is pull, breath, kick, glide. The glide is very important, if you don't stay underwater for a little bit and glide, you won't get anywhere too fast.

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