During breaststroke, my coach tells us that we should look downwards and never to the front, and keep our heads down. However, all the videos I've seen of great Olympic and Worlds breaststrokers such as Hansen and Kitajima look forward when they take their breaths. Even Phelps looks only slightly downwards but mainly forwards when taking a breath. In fact, the women breaststrokers supposedly swimming "like men" are the major swimmers that swim breaststroke with their heads down (Kirk, Hardy...).
So why are the male breaststrokers swimming with their heads up when everyone has told me to keep the head down during breaststroke?
Neither Hansen nor Kitajima keep their heads particularly down,but more importantly they do not raise their heads up. They keep them basically in a neutral position and they look slightly foreward because they have lifted their upper bodies.Letting your body raise your head is generally not a problem. Raising your head by arching your neck will cause your hips to drop and slow you down.
Neither Hansen nor Kitajima keep their heads particularly down,but more importantly they do not raise their heads up. They keep them basically in a neutral position and they look slightly foreward because they have lifted their upper bodies.Letting your body raise your head is generally not a problem. Raising your head by arching your neck will cause your hips to drop and slow you down.
