Breaststroke!
This upcoming week we will work on breaststroke. Each week the JRAC league focuses on a stroke of the week that is the open stroke for the meet. This week's meet at Lakeside Swim and Racquet Club will feature the breaststroke.The breaststroke has quite a number of things which can be problematic and earn swimmers a DQ slip (DQ = disqualified, not Dairy Queen). The following videos will hopefully help swimmers see some of the parts of the stroke that are most important to watch and which can prevent a DQ slip from being written. Many people like breaststroke because it is "easy" but strong breaststroke is anything but easy. Breaststroke is an incredibly powerful stroke that requires great technique and handling of the water. The following are some tips and tricks to be an excellent breaststroke swimmer.
The Underwater Pullout
The underwater pullout transitions the swimmer from the dive to the swimming of the stroke. Unlike in the other three swimming strokes where a swimmer may simply kick themselves to the surface, the breaststroke requires a very specific sequence. The following video explains and demonstrates the proper technique for an underwater pullout. (Note: feel free to stop at 2:25 when they begin promo for their sponsors)
The Stroke
The most common mistakes in the breaststroke are hands past the hipline and/or alternating or scissor kicks. The following video shows each component of good breaststroke swimming. (Added benefit: the transitions in the video are the swimmer doing an excellent breaststroke turn!)
The Turn/Finish
The breaststroke requires a two-hand touch on every wall, both for turns and for finishes. The breaststroke and the butterfly both utilize an open turn (not a flip turn!). Remember the phrase "elbow your brother, phone your mother" as you think about the open turn.
Putting it all together...
If you want to feel really inadequate and to be really impressed, watch Adam Peaty's race from Rio 2016 where the swimmer from Great Britain earns a new world record and demonstrates the power that is necessary to have a winning breaststroke.
