After the I.M. thread and watching my daughter at her meet I got to wondering if being good at certain strokes has anything to do with heredity. If you read the I.M. thread you know that I am terrible at the breaststroke. Today my daughter had to do the 100 I.M. She was second after the fly and doing the backstroke. She had at least a 1/4 of a pool length on the two swimmers behind her. All the parents around me were commenting on how good she looked. I told them to wait and see what happens on the breaststroke. What do you know the two swimmers behind her caught her and past her on the breaststroke. She dropped down to fourth place. Is she destined to be a terrible breaststroker like me? Keep in mind that she has always done lessons at the Y and not with me.
Parents
Former Member
ANYONE, and I do mean ANYONE who can do a good or great butterfly can do a decent breaststroke. There have been many arm dominant breaststrokers, that did not have the great kick.
Of all the stokes, breaststroke has the most physical variations. There have been great breaststrokers at 6 foot 6 inches, and great ones at 4 foot 6 inches. You can be skinny, medium or large, the only requirement is correct technique in the stroke.
I think the real problem with people not swimming a good breaststroke, is their coaches. Coaches who grew up swimming only free, back or fly and become coaches generally do not coach breaststroke well. The great coaches like Councilman and Nagy swam breaststroke. This is not a stroke you can power through, the water resisitance is higher and will beat you down.
ANYONE, and I do mean ANYONE who can do a good or great butterfly can do a decent breaststroke. There have been many arm dominant breaststrokers, that did not have the great kick.
Of all the stokes, breaststroke has the most physical variations. There have been great breaststrokers at 6 foot 6 inches, and great ones at 4 foot 6 inches. You can be skinny, medium or large, the only requirement is correct technique in the stroke.
I think the real problem with people not swimming a good breaststroke, is their coaches. Coaches who grew up swimming only free, back or fly and become coaches generally do not coach breaststroke well. The great coaches like Councilman and Nagy swam breaststroke. This is not a stroke you can power through, the water resisitance is higher and will beat you down.
