By Swimming World correspondent G. John Mullen of SwimmingScience.net and COR, Creator of Swimmer’s Shoulder System
SANTA CLARA, California, March 28. I have not taught swim lessons in years, but if I were to bet: if you are still doing swim lesson breaststroke, then you aren’t an elite breaststroker. Breaststroke is the Tango of swimming, using timing, acceleration, and bodyline (TAB) for maximal propulsion.
Frustrated 3/4 IMers have struggled to find an adequate breaststroke for years, attempting to do a full fly kick in their stroke to compensate for the absentee breast kick. As officials attempt to restrict the stroke and pull-out, non-natural breaststroke swimmers must learn the key components of the stroke for a better breaststroke.
Breaststroke requires grabbing water with your hands, maintaining forward momentum, then gliding without a decrease in forward propulsion.
There are different philosophies on breaststroke to either maximize undulation, or use a wider kick for those with massive amount of hip range of motion. Unfortunately, only a few swimmers have the physical characteristics of a ‘natural’ breaststroker.
If you weren’t built with the tools to do the splits, don’t worry I’m here to help! This article will break down breaststroke and help discuss methods to improve sticking points in the stroke to becoming a better breaststroker.
Terms
Before I discuss all the techniques, let’s go over the lingo:
Arms: The arms undergo a triphasic motion.
1. Outsweep: This phase moves the hands laterally from the midline of the body. The hands should face outward with the shoulders to internally rotate to maximize grab of the water. The width the hands travel directly correlates with the swimmer’s overhead strength. The stronger the athlete, the greater control they will have with a wide outsweep. The goal of this phase is to move the hands as wide as possible from the shoulder blade muscles while maintaining straight elbows.
2. Insweep: This propulsive phase starts when the hands move medially from the outsweep. This transition is called “rounding the corners.” A change in velocity must occur during this transition, to increase forward propulsion, to propel the body forward without an associated sticking point. During this phase, the forearms and hands move from the horizontal to the vertical plane while the head, shoulders, and back lift in a straight line, driving the body forward (drive forward, don’t bob up and down, there aren’t any apples).
3. Arm Recovery: The arm recovery begins as the arms move towards the head, another common sticking point. The main goal of the arm recovery is to achieve a streamline. No matter if the hands are above or below the water, make sure the elbows are close to each other to decrease water resistance. Make sure to maximally move the arms forward during this phase to allow maximal leg propulsion.
Legs: The legs provide most of the forward propulsion in breast. The amount of leg movement is dependent on the athlete’s muscle length, strength and timing. Luckily, a better breast is possible with limited hip range of motion. Similar to the arms, the legs undergo three phases:
1. Upkick: Fast and rapid movement of the feet towards the butt. This is the recovery phase of the kick. This phase is often performed incorrectly with large amounts of hip flexion, dramatically increasing hydrodynamic drag.
2. Outkick: When the feet move outward, the outkick begins. This is start of the propulsive phase of kicking. Similar to the upkick, the hips should remain in a straight line from the torso to the head to minimize water resistance.
3. Inkick: The motion of snapping the feet together after the outkick. This phase begins as the feet move from pointing outward to backward to maximize propulsion, then streamline.
I’m about to go TAB
With the lingo behind us, it is essential to understand the three most important variables to better breaststroke: Timing, Acceleration, and Bodyline.
Timing
Timing is the easiest correction for better breast, but often performed incorrectly. The arms and legs each have periods of propulsion and streamline. It is essential to time the propulsive and streamline phases. This timing forces patience, a misunderstood concept in novice and learn to swim programs. Overlapping arm and leg propulsive and recovery phases impedes forward velocity. It is essential to get the most out of every propulsive movement! Too often will novice or poor breast swimmers start their kick at the wrong phase, attempting to move a boulder through the water. Start the upkick at the end of the insweep. This allows the leg outkick and inkick to occur during the arm recovery, a highly streamlined position.
Acceleration
Acceleration is important in every stroke, but quintessential in breast. Knowing when to move fast and when to glide will make the stroke easier for the swimmer. Remember, no one wants to watch someone tango at constant speed. Quit taking dance lessons from “Seinfeld”‘s Elaine Benes and learn how to accelerate the right time!
The outsweep requires no acceleration and constant velocity, where the athlete will grab water and slide their hands to the outside of their body. This constant velocity must accelerate to maximal velocity from the start of the insweep, as the athlete “rounds the corners” to the recovery. The insweep phase is the most propulsive of breast, unfortunately it is the least hydrodynamic. This makes it essential to move quickly, while grabbing water. While grabbing water, the amount of drag is high, this prevents maximal hand speed and causes acceleration to increase into the recovery.
Luckily, as the recovery begins the arms rapidly decrease hydrodynamic drag and the arms reach maximal velocity to achieve the most hydrodynamic position, streamline. This cohesiveness is difficult, but possible with practice.
Acceleration is also important for the feet. The heels must move quickly during the whole kick cycle to achieve maximal results. Many novice swimmers will flex their hips and move their feet slow, attempting to mimic a frog. This impedes velocity and maximizes drag, quit this elementary kick! Once again, the feet must move quickly throughout the whole kick cycle kick. Attempt to maintain a constant velocity through the kick, with a slight acceleration from the outkick to the inkick, then pause at the end of the inkick to maximize this streamlined position.
When you bring your feet together on the inkick, accelerate them together attempting to “clap” your feet, just like your hands to maximize force production. Similar to hand clapping, the feet must move rapidly, in attempt to clap. Unfortunately, the water prevents any sound, but this external cue helps the idea of energy production. The louder one could make their feet clap, the more energy they produce, and the faster they will move forward.
Bodyline
The body must hold a straight line through the stroke. This bodyline will keep the spine long, maximize shoulder and core strength, and minimize drag. Often, those with poor hip range of motion will hinge and arch the low back in attempt to move their feet wider. In breast, the shoulders and chest should rise as a unit during the insweep. Remember, the rise is more of a drive forward or lunge, not a lift, to maximize forward propulsion. Keep your pressure forward and imagine stretching your body forward (not just your arms) as you dive back in the water.
The head is a variable component in elite breaststrokers. However, biomechanically the head should stay still and tucked (or packed) to maximize hydrodynamics and force production (specifically strength at the shoulders, as the shoulders are much stronger with the head tucked than arched). As the head rises and falls, the chest must follow in a straight line. Storied Coach Jon Urbanchek once said to swim breast like “your head is in a cast with your neck and shoulders”. I feel this description encourages stiff, overactive muscles. Instead hold this body line, without maximally contracting these muscles, to prevent fatigue.
Another reason for a tucked chin is to keep the spine long and prevent arching of the low back. During breast, the spine must hold the bodyline, but arching and moving the neck influences the low back to arch as well. This arching increased drag and prevents the body from accelerating forward. Keep everything in the body line!
Conclusion
TAB is the key to transition a novice to an elite breaststroker. Make sure you aren’t swimming breast like Elaine Benes and enjoy TAB today!
G. John Mullen is the owner of the Center of Optimal Restoration and creator of Swimming Science. He received his doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. G. John has been featured in Swimming World Magazine, Swimmer Magazine, and the International Society of Swim Coaches Journal.