Just curious of what type of breaststroke most people here swim? Which one of these three : conventional (flat), wave, or undulating (i.e. the very flexible Amanda Beard) you guys found most efficient and comfortable to swim?
I found myself swim a combination of wave and undulating. Just wonder what you all think of these different types of breaststroke. :agree:
I started swimming flat breaststroke and with the rule change in 1986 I started adding aspects of wave. My stroke has been pretty pure wave since 2003,but I'm still tweaking it. I think that the up and down motion has gotten too much emphasis(see "breaststroke.info" for Waynes view of wave,which I agree with.) I think there are 3 key points to the wave.
1) keep your head down at all times(Joseph Nagy,the man who populaized wave had been known to bop swimmers on the top of their head if they raised their head to breathe.)
2)recover your feet by bending your knees only
3)accelerate your hands through out the pull and shoot your hands forward on the recovery.
If you don't lift your head to breath you must lift your torso. This combined with your legs going down as you lift your feet means that as you shoot your arms forward and kick hard you naturally lunge,Voila' wave breaststroke.
I think wave breaststroke is better for kick dominant swimmers as it makes it easier to "ride the glide." I disagree with Jeff with great temerity,but by my definition Leisel swims wave,granted a very flat wave.I can't think of any World Class breaststrokers since 1992 who swam flat(I'm sure Skip will remind me if there was someone.)
I started swimming flat breaststroke and with the rule change in 1986 I started adding aspects of wave. My stroke has been pretty pure wave since 2003,but I'm still tweaking it. I think that the up and down motion has gotten too much emphasis(see "breaststroke.info" for Waynes view of wave,which I agree with.) I think there are 3 key points to the wave.
1) keep your head down at all times(Joseph Nagy,the man who populaized wave had been known to bop swimmers on the top of their head if they raised their head to breathe.)
2)recover your feet by bending your knees only
3)accelerate your hands through out the pull and shoot your hands forward on the recovery.
If you don't lift your head to breath you must lift your torso. This combined with your legs going down as you lift your feet means that as you shoot your arms forward and kick hard you naturally lunge,Voila' wave breaststroke.
I think wave breaststroke is better for kick dominant swimmers as it makes it easier to "ride the glide." I disagree with Jeff with great temerity,but by my definition Leisel swims wave,granted a very flat wave.I can't think of any World Class breaststrokers since 1992 who swam flat(I'm sure Skip will remind me if there was someone.)
