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The breastroke is one of the most distinctive strokes in competitive swimming. With the breastroke, you can employ the forceful kicking movements to swim faster in races or even meander along, gliding lazily through the water on a nice summer day. This stroke is one of the most challenging strokes for beginning swimmers to learn to master. Although it does take time and practice to learn the breastroke, once you have it down, you’ll be amazed by how much your other swimming skills have improved. Prior to attempting to learn this stroke, it is obviously crucial that you understand water safety techniques and have a grasp of basic swimming skills. You should not be afraid to submerge your face and/or body. You should have a firm grasp of the principles of rhythmic breathing as well. Anyone who has not mastered these skills is well advised to seek additional instruction from a local swimming resource.

Because swimming is a skill best taught by a live instructor, it would b a sound idea to go ahead and take the basic swimming lessons anyway. Your instructor should be certified by the American Red Cross or some other national authority on water safety. While they are generally more expensive, private swim lessons are best for learning the breastroke because your instructor will be able to devote his or her entire attention to your form, rather than having to watch for the safety and technique of other students at the same time.

I enjoyed learning the breastroke as an advanced beginning swimmer. It has become my most frequently used stroke. This is how I was taught the stroke. Review the instructions, and then attempt them while on the floor so that you have a feel for the proper technique prior to entering the water. It’s generally best to learn the kick first, then move onto the arms. Once you can do them comfortably, then you can combine them.

Learning the breastroke kick

1. We start by lying face down on the floor or ground, or on a armless chair, stool or even a bench.

2. Bring both knees upwards to the chest.

3. Imagine a frog, now, kick your legs out to each side, as wide as you are able, then, move them in an arc until they are back together and straight behind you. This movement should be sharp and smooth.

4. Anyone experiencing difficulty with the kick should try standing while grasping a chair with the right hand. Raise your left knee to your chest (or as high as possible) then circle your knee outward. The left knee will be splayed leftward. Hold and then lower your leg. Do these same movements with the right side. This exercise is designed to help you get familiar with the feeling of having your legs wide open to the sides. Before too long, you will be able to coordinate these movements.

The breastroke pull (arm movements)

5. While you are still lying face down on the ground or any of the other options, bring your hands to your chest, now hold them in the prayer position, with your palms together and your thumbs up.

6. Keeping those palms together, you’ll need to extend your arms above your head, this is very similar to the exalted warrior pose, if you are familiar with yoga. Hold this pose a moment (this will be part of your glide when you actually do the breastroke.

7. Turn the palms outward away from each other. Rapidly and fluidly send the arms outward to each side.

8. Just as your arms reach your sides move your hands and forearms upwards so they come back into the prayer position against your chest.

Combining the TWO

9. Lie face down on the stool. Bring your legs, as well as your hands, as close to your chest as you are capable of, as we described earlier.

10. While you are kicking out with your legs, being a frog, bring your hands up into the exalted warrior position listed in number six.

11. Now that your legs have reached the prone position, long and straight out behind you, now hold slightly and bring your arms down and around as described above. As your arms move down, raise your head and chest slightly, to imitate the movement you’ll need for breathing.

12. Bring your knees and hands to your chest to be ready for the next stroke. It was difficult for me to coordinate the arm movements and the leg movements when I was first learning the breastroke. Therefore, my instructor suggested I use a stool to simulate the movements. A good instructor will be able to assist you in mastering the necessary movements so that you will be prepared to try them in the water.

Into the water

Once you have mastered these movements on dry land, you are ready to use them in the pool. You may consider doing a little warm up exercise, the standing leg exercise we did earlier would be great. This will reinforce the sensation of what the kick will feel like once you hit the water.

13. Warm up with some floats and some freestyle or backstroke swimming until you feel loosened up and comfortable in the water.

14. Don’t think it’s silly to hold onto the pool side and practice your kicks in the water.

15. Once you are ready, take a paddle board to help with kick practice: Begin by keeping your head above water. Next, try the kicks while your face is immersed in the pool and your arms are raised over your head (like the exalted warrior pose). This way, you will gain an understanding of the gliding element of the stroke, which is the point at which you will gain the greatest force.

16. Once you feel satisfied with your kicking ability, and the teacher is pleased with your movement and form, try to complete the arm movements while standing still. As you are swinging your arms down to your sides, raise your chest to practice your breathing.

17. Once you have all these movements mastered, it’s time to put it all together. Initially, I found this difficult, though my teacher suggested that I envision myself as a dolphin projecting itself from the sea. This is what aided me in coordinating my arm motions and my breathing as well.

The most difficult element of the breastroke is perfecting the timing. The glide is the portion of the stroke in which you move forward the most. The trick is to glide forward as much as possible before starting the next stroke, the motions of which will slow you down slightly.

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