The breastroke is a critical skill for swimmers who want to compete. While it really is a very complex stroke to learn, it is important to learn how to do it properly. If you can be more efficient at the breastroke, you will learn how to improve your times and win a lot more races. The best place to start is to find out whether or not you are doing a proper breastroke. Begin by reading our “breastroke for Beginners” article that is featured on our website. Additionally, it is a good idea to have a certified swimming instructor or your swim coach watch your moves to ensure that you’ve got it down. He or she can point out the tiny errors that could be holding you back.
A 16 year-old competitive swimmer from Lapeer, Michigan named Emily has some great tips to share. Emily is the current record holder at her school in the 100-meter breastroke. She related the fact that most swimmers aren’t as efficient as then can be as they swim. For example, she points out that the elbows should really be “out there” when the arms are pulled into the chest. Emily says that by keeping the elbows out, you will have more momentum to push ahead into the next stroke, with your shoulders out of the water at this point. Intermediate swimmers can get what Emily calls “lazy feet” when doing the breastroke. She says that you will be much faster if you can get the feet moving correctly.
Used in competitive swimming, the breastroke is one of the most recognizable strokes. It is useful for slowly slinking through the water in your backyard pool, or it can be used to propel you to a win in a competitive race. Beginning swimmers often find the breastroke to be among the toughest strokes to master. While you may need a bit of time to get the hang of it, once you learn the breastroke stroke, you will marvel at how much strength you have gained as a swimmer. You should definitely be comfortable with general water safety and have a basic set of swimming skills before trying to learn the breastroke, just as a general rule of thumb. There should not be any fear of submerging your face, or even your whole body for that matter, underwater. It is important that you are able to breathe rhythmically. Anyone who has not mastered these skills is well advised to seek additional instruction from a local swimming resource. Because swimming is a skill best taught by a live instructor, it would b a sound idea to go ahead and take the basic swimming lessons anyway. All instructors should have their certification through the American Red Cross or some other national authority on water safety. Though private swim instruction may be costly, it is optimal for mastering the breastroke, as the teacher will be able to devote substantial attention to your individual technique, instead of being distracted by keeping an eye of the form and safety of the rest of the class. I enjoyed learning the breastroke as an advanced beginning swimmer. It has become my most frequently used stroke.
The breastroke is a critical skill for swimmers who want to compete. However, because it is such a complex stroke, many swimmers have a tough time doing the breastroke efficiently. If you can learn to do so, you will soon be swimming a faster breastroke, beating your times, winning more races and having more fun.
The first thing you need to do is to make sure you are doing the breastroke correctly. Check with a certified swimming instructor or coach to make sure you are doing the moves properly. He or she can point out the tiny errors that could be holding you back. Emily is a 16-year-old competitive swimmer in Michigan. She holds the school record in the 100 meter breastroke. She said many swimmers are a bit sloppy in their movements.
The breastroke turn, also refereed to as the open turn is a bit different than other swim turns. If you imagine swimming casually and reaching the wall, this seems like the turn you would do (albeit much slower).
When swimming competitively the rules state that all four limbs must touch the wall. You should hit the wall in the middle of the breastroke glide. Once both hands touch the wall pull one arm away (the arm that you plan to turn towards) as quickly as possible. This will rotate your body, and cause your legs to pull up towards the wall. At the same time raise your other arm up by your head. Your head will break the surface for a split second allowing you to take a breath if needed. Lower your head and plant your feet on the wall. Push off hard and straight. Keep yourself in the glide position for as long as you can. When you begin to slow down do one pull with your arms, and a small dolphin kick. You are allowed one breastroke pull, and one breastroke kick before surfacing.
Remember to stay as streamlined as possible during the push off. You are faster off the wall than swimming so use it as much as possible. Practice each step over and over then put it all together.
The breastroke glide is all about keeping your body as aerodynamic as possible. You enter the glide just after you have come up for a breath. The steps to an effective glide are as follows.
Do not bring your body too far out of the water for your breath. The more you bring your body out of the wate, the farther you will sink in your glide. Try to stay as level and even as possible.
The breastroke pull (or arm movement) is a bit technical but can be easily learned. The pull is where you get a lot of your forward momentum. A strong breastroke pull can do a lot to make you a faster breastroke swimmer.
You want to make sure your arms remain underwater the entire time. They may break the surface when you go into your gilde, but do not have to. Start with your arms straight ahead of you, palms together, fingers pointed. You want to be as streamline as possible. Rotate your palms so they face outward, with your hands cupped. Then Sweep your arms outwards pulling the water past. Then bring your arms back in close to your chest. Finally put your hands back together, fingers pointed and push your arms forward back to the starting position.
The breastroke Kick is also referred to as the Frog Kick because it looks very similar to the way frogs kick their legs underwater. The kick is very important because it is your last motion before entering the glide. If you do not kick properly then your glide will be short, and you will have to begin another stroke quickly. The kick can be broken up into 2 parts.
The first part is used to get the feet into position. From the breastroke glide position your legs will be straight behind you. knees straight and together and toes pointed. Rotate at the hip to spread your legs, at the same time bend your knees and bring your ankles up to your butt. Try not to let your knees dip too far below your body as this will create excess drag. Do not bend too much at the hips, spread your legs, but don’t pull your legs under you. As you bring your feet up to your behind, bend your ankles. Try not to break the surface of the water with your feet.
The breastroke is one of the most distinctive strokes in competitive swimming. You can use it to glide lazily through the water on a hot summer day or you can use the explosive kicking movements to swim fast in races. The breastroke is also one of the most challenging for beginning swimmers to learn. It will take some time to learn, but once you do, you’ll be impressed at how much your general swimming skills have improved.
Before you begin learning the breastroke, it almost goes without saying that you should be comfortable with basic water safety and swimming skills. You should not be afraid to submerge your face and/or body. You should understand the principles of rhythmic breathing. If you need help with these skills, you should contact your local public swimming pool about water safety and/or swim lessons.
It would be a good idea to have basic swimming lessons anyway, since swimming is one of those skills best taught by a live instructor. Your instructor should be certified by the American Red Cross or some other national authority on water safety. While they are generally more expensive, private swim lessons are best for learning the breastroke because your instructor will be able to devote his or her entire attention to your form, rather than having to watch for the safety and technique of other students at the same time.
Take your time and learn it correctly
Here are my steps on how to do the breastroke.
As an advanced beginning swimmer, I enjoyed learning the breastroke. It is now the stroke I use the most. This is how I was taught the stroke. Read the directions first, and then try them while lying on the floor so you understand what to do before trying it in the water. It’s best to learn the kick first and then the arms. Once you can do them comfortably, then you can combine them.
My name is LD and I've been an avid swimmer for most of my life. I've never competed but know many people who have, and I feel that I can help provide a resource for the breastroke as well as other forms of swimming.
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Emily is a 16-year-old competitive swimmer in Michigan. She holds the school record in the 
