Any swimmer who is interested in competition needs to know how to perform the breastroke. While it really is a very complex stroke to learn, it is important to learn how to do it properly. If you can be more efficient at the breastroke, you will learn how to improve your times and win a lot more races.
The first thing you need to do is to make sure you are doing the breastroke correctly. You should start out by reading the articles on our website about doing the breastroke if you are a beginner. You should also check with a certified swimming instructor or coach to make sure you are doing the moves properly. He or she can point out the tiny errors that could be holding you back.
Emily is a 16-year-old competitive swimmer in Lapeer, Michigan. Emily is the current record holder at her school in the 100-meter breastroke. She said many swimmers are a bit sloppy in their movements. “When the arms are in to the chest, keep those elbows out there. It will give you to momentum to push forward with the next stroke.” At this point your shoulders should be out of the water. 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. The glide comes at the end of each stroke and at that point your arms and legs should be tight together. In order to have a more powerful glide, it is essential to strengthen the legs for a more powerful kick. Emily often stretches her legs in order to make them stronger. She says you should hold each leg for a period of 10-seconds, release and then stretch the other leg. The goal here is to try and get the leg higher each time you do it.
Another trick to increase your speed is to use stretch bands. When you perform your stretching exercises, wrap the bands around your legs. All you need to do is tie the ends of the stretch band together before wrapping it around your ankles. You can do this at the edge of the pool by sitting down and stretching your legs in opposite directions. You can continue to repeat this exercise as long as it is still comfortable to do so. You can use the bands in the water too. With the stretch wrap’s ends tied together, you can use it around either your thighs or your ankles. Leg motions can be rehearsed with a kickboard. The beauty of doing these exercises in the water is that not only will they strengthen your legs; it will also help you perfect your kick.
As you teach breastroke to yourself, your legs will learn these motions more effectively if you kick widely. However, a wide kick is not so good for competitive swimmers because the wide leg provides resistance to the next stroke. When your kick is more narrow, each subsequent stroke will have less resistance working against it. Leg strength is an important element that will help you to improve your breastroke speed. Another exercise you can do to strengthen the legs is the lunge. To complete a lunge, stand up tall and then move your right leg forward as you lean into the move until your right knee is at a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for a moment, and then move both legs back together. You should repeat this maneuver again using your left leg. These exercises should be done at least three times a week, and you should do as much as 25 lunges per leg in order to strengthen your legs. This is followed by leg stretching exercises.
Other exercises should be used to help strengthen and stretch the arms, especially the triceps muscles. One way to do this is tricep dips. Sit down on the ground and extend your legs forward. Lean back, extending your arms behind you so that you are resting on your hands. Lift your bottom off the floor simply by using your arms. Hold each lift before releasing for a count of 10.
Of course the best way to improve your breastroke is to just do it. Emily practices swimming with her high school swim team two hours each day, one hour of which is devoted to the breastroke. The more you do anything, the better you will be at it, she said. It doesn’t have to be monotonous, however, as you can break down and work on various components throughout your practice if you want. You may want to try performing the kick ten times, or work on your arms for a period of time in order to give the rest of your body time to recover. Another area that Emily says her competitors need more work on is to practice the breastroke turn at the end of each length of the pool. For example, in the breastroke it is essential that both legs and both hands touch the wall during the turn. Once they have, immediately pull one arm back in the opposite direction as you push off the wall. At the point of the “push off”, the swimmer’s body should be streamlined and straight in order to achieve a powerful glide motion.
Just remember that while a strong push off is good, too much can be bad. Many swimmers have damaged their knees by working too hard when practicing the breastroke. The outer angles of your knees receive the greatest amount of force during your kicks. Thus competitive swimmers, such as Emily, learn to listen to their bodies: If it starts to hurt, it’s time to take a break from the breastroke for a while, even a month or two. Strengthening exercises and stretches can help you to stay strong and heal during this off time. And while you are taking a break on the breastroke, there are other strokes you can continue to work on.
In the excitement of a race, it is essential to concentrate on your own efforts. Make sure you stretch before the race and try to stay relaxed and confident. You need to be single-minded and only focus on what you are doing once you get in the water. Don’t ever fall into the temptation to turn your head and see where your competitors are throughout the race.
Improving your breastroke is largely a matter of practicing the fundamentals as efficiently as possible. By practicing them wisely and taking breaks when your body tells you to, you will be well on your way to an advanced breastroke.
BTW Blog Guest Author
BTW Blog © 2010