The breast stroke is one of the most popular forms of swimming, especially for recreational swimming. Because you can keep your head above water, many recreational swimmers use it to cruise around the pool. However, if you're swimming for exercise, you may have taken some bad habits from your recreational swim with you into your workout. Correcting a breast stroke means understanding the parts of the stroke and putting them together to enable the most efficient glide.
Step 1
Look at your overall body position. When swimming breast stroke correctly, your body is in a slight downward tilt from your head to your toes. The more you lift your head, the lower your hips dip, causing drag as well as potential issues with your neck and lower back.
Step 2
Know the rhythm of the stroke. Pull with your arms to enable breathing and move you along. Kick with your legs to power the stroke. These movements occur in conjunction to enable a glide through the water.
Step 3
Focus on your head and arms. Submerge your head and keep it aligned with your spine. Stretch your arms out in front of you, below the water's surface. Pull and spread your elbows, using your palms and forearms to scoop the water. Your head rises naturally as your elbows come in, enabling breathing.
Step 4
Look at your kick. You can either use a frog-kick or a whip-kick, depending on your flexibility. The legs work symmetrically in breast stroke. If one leg doesn't mirror the other, it's not a legal kick in competitive swimming. Bring your knees together, ankles flexed. Lift your legs up toward your bottom. Kick your legs out and to the sides, ankles flexed, ending with your knees far apart. Bring your legs together and start the kick again. Don't tuck your knees toward your body. The kick happens behind your torso, not beneath it. (ref. 1)
Step 5
Notice your glide. Don't overwork yourself. After you finish your kick, let yourself be powered through the water by your overall pull and kick.
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