breaststroke
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What is the breaststroke in swimming?
The breaststroke is a swimming stroke done face down in the water. Swimmers use a sweeping arm motion and a "frog kick" to move forward. Thought to be the oldest swimming stroke, it's common for recreation, lifesaving, and competition and works well in choppy water.
In the breaststroke, the swimmer starts gliding with arms stretched forward and legs extended backward. The hands pull down in front of the chest, then the arms stretch forward again. The arms sweep out to make a V-shape as the elbows bend and the forearms pull back until the hands meet at the chest. This lifts the body, allowing the swimmer to breathe before going back to the gliding position. The breaststroke is the slowest of the four swimming strokes.
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How do you move your arms and legs in the breaststroke?
In the breaststroke, begin in a gliding position with arms stretched forward and legs extended backward. Keep your hands together and draw them downwards in front of your chest, then stretch your arms forward again. Once fully extended, separate your hands and sweep your arms outward in a V shape. Bend your elbows and sweep your forearms downward and backward until your hands meet again in front of your chest. This raises your torso, allowing you to breathe.
As you bring your head above water, bend your knees and bring your feet towards your buttocks. Then, separate your feet and sweep your legs outward, straightening them into a V shape before bringing them back together in the gliding position to propel you forward. This leg motion is also known as the whip kick.
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What is the correct body position for breaststroke?
The breaststroke starts with a gliding position, where the arms are stretched forward and the legs are stretched backward, aligned with the body. As the stroke continues, the hands are drawn downwards in front of the chest, and then the arms are stretched forward again. This motion helps lift the torso, allowing the swimmer to take a breath before exhaling underwater.
The swimmer bends their knees as their head breaks the surface, bringing their feet towards the buttocks. The legs then sweep outwards and straighten to form a V shape, before coming back together, which propels the body forward to return to the gliding position.
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Why is breathing technique important in the breaststroke?
In the breaststroke, breathing is coordinated with the arm movements. As the arms sweep outward and backward, the torso lifts, allowing the swimmer to take a breath before exhaling underwater. The timing of breath intake has evolved; in the past, it occurred at the beginning of the arm stroke, but now it happens near the end of the arm pull. Coordinating breathing with the stroke helps maintain rhythm and efficiency, ensuring the swimmer gets enough oxygen while minimizing resistance in the water.
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How is breaststroke different from other swimming strokes like freestyle or backstroke?
The breaststroke differs from freestyle and backstroke in several ways. The breaststroke, believed to be the oldest swimming stroke, is performed face down in the water, with the arms always remaining underwater. It starts with a gliding position, followed by a motion where the hands are drawn downwards in front of the chest, and then the arms are stretched forward. The legs perform a "frog kick," with the feet separating and sweeping outward before coming back together. Breathing occurs when the head briefly breaks the surface.
Freestyle involves a prone body position and a constant flutter kick. Arms extend forward, entering the water thumb first and scooping backward, with alternating arm movements for continuous propulsion. Breathing is done by turning the head to the side during arm recovery. Backstroke is performed supine, with swimmers starting in the pool and leaping off the wall. Arms reach alternately above the head, entering the water in line with the shoulders, while the body rolls. The legs move up and down from the hips, similar to the freestyle kick.
The four strokes, ranked from fastest to slowest, are freestyle, butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke.
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breaststroke, swimming stroke performed lying face down in the water in which swimmers use a wide sweeping arm movement and a frog kick to propel themselves forward. The breaststroke is believed to be the oldest stroke and is commonly used in lifesaving and recreational swimming as well as in competitive swimming. The stroke is especially effective in rough water. It is the slowest of the four swimming strokes.
History and competition
As early as the end of the 17th century, a stroke resembling the breaststroke was described as consisting of a wide pull of the arms combined with a symmetrical action of the legs that simulated the movement of a swimming frogâhence the usual term frog kick. The breaststroke was added to the menâs Olympic program in 1904, and women began competing in the breaststroke at the 1924 Paris Games.
Technique and movement
In competition, swimmers start by diving into the pool from starting blocks. They may stay underwater and execute one arm pull and one butterfly (dolphin) kick before beginning the first stroke. The breaststroke begins from a gliding position, with the arms stretched forward and the legs stretched backward in line with the body. While kept together, the hands are drawn downward in front of the chest, and then the arms are stretched forward. Once fully extended, the hands separate, and the arms sweep outward to form a V. Then the elbows bend, and the forearms sweep downward and backward until the hands come together again in front of the chest. This motion lifts the torso so that the head briefly breaks the surface and the swimmer takes a breath before exhaling underwater. Then the arms stretch forward to return to the gliding position. As the head breaks the surface, the knees bend with the feet touching and drawn toward the buttocks. The feet then separate, and the legs sweep outward, straighten to form a V, and come back together in the gliding position, propelling the body forward. During the course of the stroke, the arms are mostly underwater, although by rule only the elbows must remain submerged at all times.
Here is a list of the four strokes, ranked from fastest to slowest.
- breaststroke
The mechanics of the breaststroke have changed over time. The early breaststroke featured a momentary glide at the completion of the frog kick before the arms began moving again. Later the competitive breaststroke eliminated the glide. In the old breaststroke, breath was taken in at the beginning of the arm stroke, but in the later style, breath was taken in near the end of the arm pull. In the 1930s some swimmers began bringing their arms up and out of the water after the pull, which reduced drag and led to faster swims. To differentiate this innovative form from the traditional breaststroke, in 1953 the FĂ©dĂ©ration Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA; from 2023 called World Aquatics) created the new category of butterfly, defined by the arms recovering (the non-propulsive stage after the pull) above the water and an up-and-down kicking motion (the dolphin kick). The breaststroke returned to its previous form, with the swimmerâs arms recovering underwater and the legs using a frog kick.
Notable breaststroke swimmers
- Cameron van der Burgh (South Africa)
- Ute Geweniger (East Germany)
- Liesel Jones (Australia)
- Lilly King (U.S.)
- Steve Lundquist (U.S.)
- Adrian Moorhouse (U.K.)
- Adam Peaty (U.K.)
- Eva Székely (Hungary)
- Nobutaka Taguchi (Japan)