Top Tips for Swimming a Faster Breaststroke at swimming coaching classes
If you are new to the competitive swimming scene, you’ll quickly find that competing in freestyle events is tough. Getting good at specialty strokes will give you a leg up on freestyle-only swimmers, and make you more marketable to future swim teams. Consider expanding your stroke repertoire to become a 100 or 200 meter breaststroke swimmer. The following swimming tips will help you shave seconds off your time and swim a faster breaststroke.
Get a good start.
Getting a good start is crucial to improving your breaststroke swim time. The first one off the block is also the first one in the water. Not having to swim through someone else’s wake is another advantage. Learn to anticipate the starting gun. Leaning forward on the block once your diving stance is set accelerates your roll toward the water and gives you a split second head start. Add a powerful push off the starting block, and you’ll hit the water first every time. Imagine your body as an arrow with your hands as the point. Once your hands break the water’s surface, the rest of you should follow through the same hole.
Perfect your pull down.
A pull down is the first stroke taken after diving in or after a turn. Rebecca Soni, a world record-holding breaststroke swimmer, uses her powerful pull down and kick to propel herself half way down the pool’s length. A good pull down should start as breaststroke pull. Once your arms reach your chin, they should continue the pull in a keyhole shape as they move under your body to your thighs. After the pull is completed, frog-kick once as your arms return to the extended position. You must break the water’s surface before starting the next pull, or risk being disqualified. Body position is important. Don’t lift your head to look for the surface. Instead, keep your head aligned with your extended arms so that your body presents the smallest area possible for water resistance to act upon.
Strengthen your stroke
Swimming the breaststroke is all about timing and technique. You can swim so-so with one or the other, but both will make a swim great. Start by perfecting your stroke technique so that you are pushing the most water with each pull and kick. Then focus on timing. Compare your stroke to the beat of your heart, a da-dum rhythm. The ‘da’ is when your pull should happen, quickly followed by ‘dum’ of your kick. A short glide should ensue before your next pull-kick combination. Different swimming classes are available for the guidance to the students. Through this swimming class, there will be enhancement in the movement of the body parts.
Fight for the finish.
In a close race the difference between first and second place often comes down to who has a stronger finish. Marker flags are often set up so backstrokers can prepare for a turn at the wall. You can use them to your advantage too. Count the number of strokes you take from the flags to the wall at full speed. Then practice during your warm-up time, always using the same number of strokes between the flags and the wall. Really reach and stretch your last stroke. When competition is tight, that last stretch may make the difference between earning silver or gold.
