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?
It helps for me to think that my head and spine are a seesaw, that comes up together then flattens out together so the neck and head don't move, and everything moves as one. Also, think about the power coming from the hips.
It helps for me to think that my head and spine are a seesaw, that comes up together then flattens out together so the neck and head don't move, and everything moves as one. Also, think about the power coming from the hips.
