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
Parents
Former Member
It's interesting. I worked quite a bit on breaststroke technique back in the day as it was one of my main events. Looking at these videos, they look nothing like the technique I was taught in terms of the arm pull.
I was always taught to keep my hands much closer together basically inline with my shoulders. Elbows would be out at around a 90 degree bend. The reasoning was that there was less recovery time and effort on the push if you keep more compact.
These videos show the hands going way out to the sides and generating a very short pull with a lot of recovery effort.
It's interesting. I worked quite a bit on breaststroke technique back in the day as it was one of my main events. Looking at these videos, they look nothing like the technique I was taught in terms of the arm pull.
I was always taught to keep my hands much closer together basically inline with my shoulders. Elbows would be out at around a 90 degree bend. The reasoning was that there was less recovery time and effort on the push if you keep more compact.
These videos show the hands going way out to the sides and generating a very short pull with a lot of recovery effort.
