When I swim breaststroke, I use the outsweep and insweep type of pull. I don't focus on pulling back at all. I read it somewhere that you should also focus on pulling back. WHen I tried doing that, my hands got stuck and my timing is off. Anyone has any thoughts?
Also, how wide should you pull? I sweep out to 12-15 inches outside my shoulder width, anchor my hands, then start insweep? I am concerned it might be too wide. When I tried anchoring my hands narrower, I don't feel as powerful of an insweep.
Thanks.
Former Member
Originally posted by Allen Stark
I think Wayne what calls the undulating style is the style Amanda Beard used to use with the exagerated bend of the back and raising the torso. Wayne are you there? I hate to speak for you.
I see. I haven't seen Wayne's post since early this month...
Originally posted by Allen Stark
This is simultaneous with the end of the insweep where the thrust forces are lifting your torso up. It requires little effort then to raise the torso further so you can breath without lifting your head.
I think this makes a lot of sense. When I rush from insweep to recovery (therefore don't completely finish my insweep), I find the lifting power is less and breathing is more difficult. However, when I first started switching to the new heart shaped insweep (therefore I focused on completing the insweep), I found breathing was easier.
I think what I need to do is to slow things down and wait till I finish my insweep before recovering, although sometimes it is difficult to resist the temptation of picking up the stroke rate.
Leisal doesn't have a"classic" flat style as she doesn't recover her legs by bending at the hips(which is a very old technique) She also take full advantage of underwater streamlining after the kick,which is also not "classic" flat style. I'd say she has a very low amplitute wave. Amand's stroke has evolved towards wave from very undulating in 1996.
Current world record holders/Olympic champions who use each of Wayne's three breaststroke styles:
Wave: Brendan Hansen, Kosuke Kitajima, Jessica Hardy
Flat: Liesel Jones
Undulating: Amanda Beard
