An Overview of Breaststroke

Last Updated on March 24, 2024 by admin

**Competitive breaststroke requires a high degree of power, strength, endurance, speed, and coordination**

In this article, we will provide advice, hacks & tips as a part of an overview of Breaststroke.

Breaststroke is the slowest and least efficient of all the competitive strokes.

Although breaststroke can generate effective propulsion from both the arm stroke and the leg kick, the recovery of both the arms and the legs, creates large amounts of drag, slowing the stroke dramatically.
Swimmers have to work hard to make their strokes effective.
As a result, competitive breaststroke requires a high degree of power, strength, endurance, speed, and coordination to generate the required propulsion for each stroke.

The key technical components of an effective breaststroke

The stroke timing ensures that the three phases of the stroke, the pull, the kick and the glide combine for an efficient breaststroke.

The key technical components of an effective breaststroke include,

Ability to ‘catch’ (feel) the water, assisted by sculling and stroke counting drills.
A strong, quick, powerful and narrow arm pull.
A powerful lunge into the leg kick.
An effective and powerful leg kick.
An effective glide phase at the end of the stroke.
Aided by a tight streamlined technique.
The stroke timing ensures that the three phases of the stroke, the pull, the kick and the glide combine for an efficient breaststroke.
Efficient starts, turns & finishes.
Which are aided by a combination of an effective underwater dolphin leg kick and tight streamlining.

The timing sequence of an effective breaststroke

To achieve a fast and effective breaststroke, you should maintain a smooth balanced and coordinated stroke combined with the correct tempo.

This should be maintained throughout the stroke’s three distinct phases, a strong, quick arm pull, a powerful leg kick and a tightly streamlined glide.

Below we have provided a general overview of breaststroke.

Giving you a general overview of the stroke
Then breaking the stroke down into its main constituent parts,
Providing advice, tips and hacks on the correct position and technique

A general overview of breaststroke

Body position

Whilst performing breaststroke your body should be in a horizontal, prone and streamlined position.

There should be a slight slope from your head to your feet so that the leg kick can be performed underwater.

Head position

Your head should be facing forward in line with your body.

The neck and shoulders should be as relaxed as possible to aid the arm action and reduce strain.
The head should be in a tucked, streamlined position during the glide phase.
The shoulders should remain level throughout the stroke.

Hips position

Your hips should be just under the surface of the water to help ensure that the legs also remain under the surface.

Your hips should remain level throughout the stroke.

Arm stroke

The secondary propulsive force during breaststroke comes from the arm stroke.

The key components of an effective breaststroke arm stroke are

The out sweep

From the streamlined glide position at the end of a previous stroke (or from a diving start or push and glide)

The arm stroke begins from the streamlined glide position at the end of a previous stroke (or from a diving start or push and glide)
You should scull your hands with your palms turned slightly outward and downward, to an angle of approximately 45 degrees.
Your arms should continue moving until they are approximately shoulder-width apart.

The catch

The catch is the start of the propulsive phase of the breaststroke arm pull

At the end of the out sweep, you should continue to bend your arms and move your forearms and hands downwards while ensuring that your elbows remain high.

The in sweep

The in-sweep is the main propulsive phase of the arm stroke and should be the quickest part of the arm stroke.

At the end of the catch, you should continue to move your arms backward, inwards and upwards so that your hands are below your chest
Your arm should be bent at approximately 90 degrees, with your elbow remaining high
Your fingers remain at 45 degrees and you should ensure that you are pushing the water backward.

The lunge

At the end of the in-sweep, you should recover your arms by driving your arms and chest forward until your arms are fully extended until you are once again in a prone streamlined position.

During the lunge, you should keep your elbows tucked in close to your body to prevent unnecessary drag.

Leg position

During the kick phase of breaststroke, you should bend your knees to facilitate your heels being brought up towards your buttocks.

Your legs should perform a fast ‘whipping’ action to drive the propulsion.
During the glide phase, your legs should be streamlined and under the surface of the water.
With your ankles close together.

Key components of an effective breaststroke leg kick

There are five phases of an effective breaststroke leg kick. The glide, the recovery, the catch, the out sweep and the glide.

The glide

You should adopt a tight streamlined position.

Your hands should be parallel, with your thumbs touching.

The recovery

As you complete the propulsive phase of your arm stroke (the in-sweep).

You should bend your knees to facilitate your heels being brought up towards your buttocks, at speed.
You should ensure that you bring your knees up towards your buttocks, to help ensure a full and powerful kick.
Your feet should be in a pointed (plantar flexion) position

The catch

As soon as your heels are close to your buttocks, you should rotate your feet outwards, at an approximate ninety-degree angle, providing a large surface area to provide propulsion.

The out sweep

As soon as you have completed the catch.

You should then push your heels and feet backwards and outwards, in a fast simultaneous and continuous leg action.

The glide

The leg kick should be performed with a circular motion, finishing in a streamlined position,

Your feet should be in a pointed (plantar flexion) position during the glide phase, which helps to reduce drag.
Ready to begin the next stroke cycle.

Hip and leg flexibility

Good hip and leg flexibility can provide many benefits to the breaststroke swimmer, these include,

Improving your body position in the water can help to reduce drag.
Increasing your range of motion and flexibility in your legs and hip joints.
Enabling the application of greater propulsive force from the kick during the stroke.
With approximately 70 percent of the propulsion of breaststroke coming from the leg kick, it can help the swimmer achieve a faster and more efficient stroke.
It is estimated that approximately 86 % of specialist breaststroke swimmers have suffered from some form of injury to their knees.
Having good hip & leg flexibility can help to reduce the risk of breaststroker’s knee.