Breastroke Drills
Posted by LD on December 7, 2010 under Breastroke | 
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Any swimmer who is interested in competition needs to know how to perform the breastroke. However, because it is such a complex stroke, many swimmers have a tough time doing the breastroke efficiently. Once you teach yourself how to perform this efficiently, it will become much easier to win races, beat your own records, and have a great time doing it. 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. This can be very helpful, as most instructors and coaches will point out what you need to improve in order to get to the next level. 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. One thing she has noticed is that many of her competitors have a sloppy style in the breastroke. 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.
The power to move forward in the breastroke comes from the glide. At this point, the arms and legs of the swimmer should be held together tight at the end of each stroke. If you want to execute a stronger glide, it’s vital to kick more strongly with your legs. Emily said a great way to strengthen the legs is to stretch them. “Hold it for 10 seconds and then release it to do the other leg. The goal here is to try and get the leg higher each time you do it.
