Just started practicing breaststroke and already have a bunch of questions.
One - is your head supposed to be in one position only at all times, i.e. looking down or do you kinda raise it a bit when about to break the surface when finishing the pull-out and then lowering your chin again to look down when submerging again?I noticed after watching some videos that there is some slight movement of the head.Or am I wrong?
Two - how deep is it best to be when doing the underwater part(streamline part) of the breaststroke(not start or turns).
Three - what is the optimal stroke count for breaststroke for, say, 25-meter pool(I am 6'1'')
And finally - how is it best to train the breaststroke kick(sample drills would be appreciated)
Sorry if that is too many questions at once.
Thanks.
Parents
Former Member
All real breastrokers know you are faster underwater than on the surface.
That was always my complaint when many coaches hijacked the stroke for a dozen years by emphasizing the above water part of the wave stroke.
Finally some coaches learned and you get swimmers like Kitijima, Hansen and Amanda Beard, who now spend as much time in each stroke underwater as the other components of the stroke.
As to the rule, your head only needs to go high enough to break the waters surface, just the very top of the head coming out. The entire head does not have to come up. This allows more time in the streamlined underwater portion of the stroke.
All real breastrokers know you are faster underwater than on the surface.
That was always my complaint when many coaches hijacked the stroke for a dozen years by emphasizing the above water part of the wave stroke.
Finally some coaches learned and you get swimmers like Kitijima, Hansen and Amanda Beard, who now spend as much time in each stroke underwater as the other components of the stroke.
As to the rule, your head only needs to go high enough to break the waters surface, just the very top of the head coming out. The entire head does not have to come up. This allows more time in the streamlined underwater portion of the stroke.
