Breaststroke in Swimming
Posted by LD on December 15, 2010 under Breastroke | 
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The breaststroke 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. This stroke is one of the most challenging strokes for beginning swimmers to learn to master. 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 breaststroke, it almost goes without saying that you should be comfortable with basic water safety and swimming skills. Anyone attempting this stroke must be willing to put their entire body and face underwater. It is important that you are able to breathe rhythmically. If you need help with these skills, you should contact your local public swimming pool about water safety and/or swim lessons.
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. Your instructor should be certified by 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 breaststroke, 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 breaststroke as an advanced beginning swimmer. It is now the stroke I use the most. This is how I was taught the stroke. Review the instructions, and then attempt them while on the floor so that you have a feel for the proper technique prior to entering the water. It is wise to master kicking initially, followed by the arm movements. After you have learned them individually, they can be brought together.
