I have noticed a change in the breaststroke after a few years of not coaching. I haven't been formally educated in the changes and was wondering what others understand about them.
I swam in the late 80's when the emphasis was getting the upper body out of the water for an almost out of the water recovery. I spent all sorts of time pulling breaststroke with fins and a dolphin kick through college.
Now, it seems that staying a bit lower to the water and actually diving under at the front of the stroke is the key. I have to say this stroke is actually easier for me to do and seems logical in that the emphasis should be forward as opposed to expending energy recovering too high. Seems like you can get much better distance per stroke this way.
Is this a correct understanding? I don't swim with a team in my area as there are none close by with any kind of serious coaching.
Yes there is more emphasis on forward.At www.breaststroke.info see Wayne's article on "What went wrong with the wave breaststroke" and What went right with the wave breaststroke."
I'd caution on the "diving down" at the start of the stroke,just like too high is slower,too low is also slower.Everything should shoot forward as much as possible.That said it is good to be completely(but slightly)underwater in the glide.
That is different too,15 yr ago most were not having a glide at all and a fair number had an overlap stroke where the arms start before the legs finish.Now almost everyone has a glide in the streamline(especially in the 200) and "ride the glide" has become a mantra for breaststrokers.See especially Kitajima in a 200 BR.I swam BR in college in the late 60s and Masters since 74 and I have had to completely remodel my stroke 3 times and am continually making adjustments.
Yes there is more emphasis on forward.At www.breaststroke.info see Wayne's article on "What went wrong with the wave breaststroke" and What went right with the wave breaststroke."
I'd caution on the "diving down" at the start of the stroke,just like too high is slower,too low is also slower.Everything should shoot forward as much as possible.That said it is good to be completely(but slightly)underwater in the glide.
That is different too,15 yr ago most were not having a glide at all and a fair number had an overlap stroke where the arms start before the legs finish.Now almost everyone has a glide in the streamline(especially in the 200) and "ride the glide" has become a mantra for breaststrokers.See especially Kitajima in a 200 BR.I swam BR in college in the late 60s and Masters since 74 and I have had to completely remodel my stroke 3 times and am continually making adjustments.
