I could use some advice from experienced breaststrokers on the proper pull technique. I have a naturally good breaststroke kick, which probably makes up 90% of my propulsion at this point. I know that breaststroke is the stroke with the most potential for me, but I seem unable to get the right feel for the pull. Every once in a while I have one of those really smooth swims where I can feel myself riding the wave, but I cannot recreate that at will.
I've tried the hand paddles drill where I swim BR with the paddles on backwards so they are not attached to my hands at all. I can keep the paddles on pretty easily. I think I'm using the right basic technique, at least based on all the descriptions I've been able to find. Yet when I swim ***, my coach says that my arms look "stiff", like I'm not turning them in enough.
I would like to understand what the proper pull should look like and feel like, before I start increasing my yardage and intensity.
TIA
Do you have any video of yourself so we can see what you look like. I think it is vital in breaststroke to acccellerate throughout the pull into the lunge foreward. I like to think of the pull as having no recovery,you move smoothly from the insweep to the lunge and then extend as streamlined as you can.People who are "swimming up hill" generally are hesitating at the end of their insweep.I'm not sure how you could be doing that though if you can keep the reversed paddles on. Try swimming breaststroke underwater and see if you feel any dead spots.
Do you have any video of yourself so we can see what you look like. I think it is vital in breaststroke to acccellerate throughout the pull into the lunge foreward. I like to think of the pull as having no recovery,you move smoothly from the insweep to the lunge and then extend as streamlined as you can.People who are "swimming up hill" generally are hesitating at the end of their insweep.I'm not sure how you could be doing that though if you can keep the reversed paddles on. Try swimming breaststroke underwater and see if you feel any dead spots.
