Swimming: breaststroke arms

For better Breaststroke, take a pull buoy and place it high between your legs. Let your legs float as you concentrate on the arm stroke. Pull no more then twice shoulder width apart and apply more power as the hands sweep inwards and upwards to the water surface, breath and recover the hands guickly forwards.

Breaststroke Kick on your back with arms stretched down the pool above your headpressing over your ears in a streamlined position and looking up towards the ceiling. The knees will be kept under the water surface. Develop a symmetrical kick. This drill will help stop the knees coming forward under the body when swimming full stroke.

The whole body enters through the same point of contact on the water surface as if you were diving through a hoop. Following full body entry into the water, the body levels out and into a streamlined position; Hold this position underwater and execute one breaststroke arm pull past your hips and one full leg kick as the hands recover forwards underwater and reach for the surface; The head then breaks the water surface to breath as you start your first swimming stroke. Ensure the leg kick helps the body to the water surface. It is possible to find greater speed whilst underwater due to good streamlining and momentum from the dive. A slightly deeper dive is required for breaststroke giving depth to achieve the underwater pull and kick action. Never dive into shallow waters.

Elite Pulling Pattern<BR>From the stretch position press the water with your hands outwards and downwards pushing your upper arm, forearm, wrist and hand out sideways just wide of the shoulders and no more than twice shoulder width. The hands then lead the forearm in a downwards and inwards circling action bringing the hands close together under and in front of the chin on the water surface with hands facing each other, continue with immediate recovery of the hands forward to the starting position for the next stroke cycle. The palms of the hands must be continually fixed on the water as a continuous scull rather than a pulling action. The complex breaststroke pull has three main phases, Out-Sweep, In-Sweep & Up-Sweep and Recovery.<BR><BR>a) The Out-Sweep Phase will occur with the palms of the hands facing outwards at approximately 40 degrees and fixed in the water approximately 20 centimetres below the water surface. The hands are pushed outwards to no more than twice shoulder width. During the out-sweep, the hands will have a projection of outwards and slightly upwards towards the water surface.<BR><BR>b) The In-Sweep Phase is more powerful than the outsweep. Apply twice as much power during the in-sweep phase of the stroke. Do not pull the hands too far back during the in-sweep, simply change the angle of your hands from 'Out' to 'In' and bring hands together at approximately 40 degrees through the water once again. Hands, forearms and elbows are pressed in towards the chest with the pitch of the hands lifting up to the water surface. You will be lifted clear of the water surface by this action due to the generated power. The in-sweep produces the most propulsion within the stroke cycle. As the handsm come together during the in-sweep the breath is taken with the face well clear of the water surface. Hands, forearms and elbows will always remain in front of the chest. Do not allow the elbows to finish wide outside the body line. <BR><BR>c) The Recovery Phase. Following the in-sweep and simultaneously, the hands are pushed forwards at very high speed. This is called the 'Recovery Phase' and is executed with the hands starting almost on the water surface and travelling to approximately 20cm below the surface and rising again at the front of the stroke as you stretch forwards. The hands will finish at a 40 degree angle in the water with palms facing outwards and fixed in the water just below the surface, arms will be fully extended in a streamline position ready to start the out-sweep once again.

Swim 12 x 25m (12 x 1 length) Breaststroke or<BR>Old English Double Arm Backstroke with<BR>Breaststroke Legs with 20 sec rest after each<BR>length. Easy / Moderate Effort.

Elite Body Position<BR>Following the leg kick at the end of the recovery phase of the stroke when the arms and legs are stretched out your body will be lying flat in the water in a streamlined position with feet and toes pointed, hips are held high with your face in the water, the hands will be together with palms facing slightly outwards, at this point of the stroke the pull commences and the lifting of the head and shoulders takes place to breath. The body will rise and fall in relation to the kick, pull and breathing pattern creating undulation and wavelike flow through the stroke cycle.

Rhythm and Timing is the secret to good Breaststroke swimming. Count how many strokes it takes you to glide down the pool. Recover the hands quickly to the front of the stroke after the pull action. Hands and feet always finish together at the end of every stroke.

Pulling Pattern<BR>From the stretch position press the water with your hands outwards and slightly downwards pushing your upper arm, forearm, wrist and hand out sideways just wide of the shoulders. The hands lead the forearm in a downwards and inwards circling action bringing the hands close together under and in front of the chin with the hands facing each other continuing with immediate forward recovery of the hands to full stretch and the starting position for the next stroke cycle.

To improve your Breaststroke, hold the top of a small float and kick Breaststroke down the pool whilst on your back. Concentrate on keeping your knees underwater. Always turn your ankles and feet out sideways creating symmetry and balance in the stroke. Feet come together and meet up at the end of every kick.

Looking at noodle position and body position with kicking. Hold the noodle under the arms, with the curve and a'window' at the front. Kick frontcrawl leg kick to other side of the pool. See how they do. Split into 2 group accordingly: G1 - those with effective leg kick G2 - those struggling to move through the water  If demonstrating good body position with a noodle, move onto 2 floats and continue with same exercises above.

Turns<BR>On the last stroke reach for the wall with both hands. Touch the wall with both hands and lift the knees towards the chest and place both feet on the wall. One arm then moves forwards down the pool the other arm is taken over the water surface and the hand meets up with the other. As you push off the wall on the water surface, stretch down the pool with hands and feet held together to develop good streamlining before you resume full stroke.

Following the leg kick after the hands have recovered forwards the body will be stretched out and lying flat in the water in a streamlined position with feet and toes pointed, hips are held high with your face in the water, hands are together with palms facing slightly outwards to keep a hold of the water; At this point of the stroke cycle the pull commences, the head and shoulders will lift and a large breath is taken. The body will rise and fall in relation to the kick, pull breathing patern creating a wave like undulating flow through the stroke cycle.

Breathing<BR>Lifting the head clear of the water and to the<BR>front of the stroke during the arm action and<BR>before each kick.

Ears in the water, eyes looking at the ceiling Tummy up at surface Leg kick comes from the hip Legs straight with slight bend at the knee Relaxed, floppy ankles

Elite Kicking Action<BR>From the extended position concentrate on lifting your heels up to your seat and turn out your ankles as they reach the highest point. As the feet recover to your seat keep the knees behind the line of the hips, little more than hip width apart. Lift of the knee towards the chest under the body should be avoided. Both feet then kick back, round and slightly downwards with your soles pressing on the water. Avoid one leg kicking deeper than the other. Turning out your ankles is the most important part of the breaststroke kick. A screw kick on breaststroke, whereby one foot is turning outwards and the other inwards is a common problem producing poor propulsion. Develop and execute total symmetry and balance and finish the kicking action with both feet whipping together and toes pointing down to the opposite end of the pool. The kick builds with speed throughout and is often referred to as a 'whip kick'. Work on ankle flexibility to improve correct kicking action.

Walk backwards, arms out to the side for balance Walk backwards, arms outstretched and eyes looking up to the ceiling Looking up at the ceiling helps replicate the idea of lying on your back in the pool<br />

Swim 6 x 25m (6 x 1 length) Butterfly with 15<BR>sec rest after each length. Every 3rd length Pull<BR>with a pull buoy float between your legs. Use<BR>hand paddles for greater strength and<BR>resistance. Single Arm Butterfly will reduce the<BR>amount of strain across the shoulders i.e. swim<BR>four strokes with your left arm and four<BR>strokes with your right arm. <BR>Strong Effort.

The butterfly technique is the most modern of all four swimming strokes. Developed from breaststroke, it has similarities as regards undulation and the dolphin type action that occurs. Undulation will occure when the head and upper body rises and falls in realtion to the kick, pull and breathing pattern. Develop a good streamline position by placing your face in the water before the hands enter at the front of the stroke. The hips are swept up to the water surface as the head and face drops down; At this point the arms are being swept forwards over the top of the water with the help of the second leg kick. There are always two leg kicks to every one arm pull within the full stroke cycle. Develop rhythm and timing rather than pure strength and power.

Ears in the water, eyes looking at the ceiling Tummy up at surface Leg kick comes from the hip Legs straight with slight bend at the knee Relaxed, floppy ankles

Bring heels up to bottom Turn toes out, like a frog Kick round in a circlular shape until feet are back together, legs straight Legs move simultaneously A good way of explaining it is to ask children to imagine they have a big bowl of ice cream behind them - theirheels have to scrape all the way round the edge of the bowl and bring the icecream up to their bottoms. Always encourages them to kick wide!

Double Arm Backstroke or Old English Backstroke will keep or increase flexibility across the chest. Watch the arms and hands recover over the water surface. As the arms recover the little fingers cut into the water first. Once the hands have entered the water exaggerate the drop of your elbows underwater before the hands and forearms push towards your feet.

Sit on pool side, place hands together on one side of body. Turn onto tummy and slide into the water.

The hips stay high during every swim stroke and will lift even more so when the hands push forwards and the legs kick back. To ensure a high hip position place your face down on the water surface as you stretch forwards in the streamlined position; This creates a small wave like dolphin motion through the water and when executed correctly, a sense of swimming down hill will occur.