Mine is a strictly 70s-era breaststroke, pretty flat, shoulders mostly stay in the water. My coach says I should be getting up (much) higher, though my initial thought was that energy devoted to going UP rather than FORWARD seems wasted.
But Maglischo is pretty convincing that the wave-style breaststroke is better and it certainly seems like the best breaststrokers nowadays all use this stroke.
So what drills or other means are out there to help modernize this old dog's breaststroke? Has anyone else out here made a successful transition and care to share what helped?
Parents
Former Member
Chris,
Here is a good resource for the wave style breaststroke:
http://breaststroke.info/
See Wayne's Powerpoint presentation "Advanced Breaststroke - Ideas and drills that work" from the to the 2003 ASCA World Clinic.
I'm big on using the 2 hunch system, but only for my longer 200 BR swims.
- The hunch just before the insweep helps get your shoulders up out of the water to minimize resistance.
- Then, you dive forward and try to "press your chest" down through your shoulders to a near-full extension to start the outsweep.
- The important point is to dive forward slightly in advance of your kick so that you can maximize your kick propulsion by being streamlined.
- The second hunch during the outsweep gets you ready for a high-elbow catch (kind of just like butterfly - I think you probably know that feeling.)
Once you get it, it really is a great feeling and makes swimming breaststroke much more efficient which is especially important in longer swims. For me it doesn't work for sprinting at all. I'm fastest sprinting with a more flat stroke.
YMMV
Mark
Chris,
Here is a good resource for the wave style breaststroke:
http://breaststroke.info/
See Wayne's Powerpoint presentation "Advanced Breaststroke - Ideas and drills that work" from the to the 2003 ASCA World Clinic.
I'm big on using the 2 hunch system, but only for my longer 200 BR swims.
- The hunch just before the insweep helps get your shoulders up out of the water to minimize resistance.
- Then, you dive forward and try to "press your chest" down through your shoulders to a near-full extension to start the outsweep.
- The important point is to dive forward slightly in advance of your kick so that you can maximize your kick propulsion by being streamlined.
- The second hunch during the outsweep gets you ready for a high-elbow catch (kind of just like butterfly - I think you probably know that feeling.)
Once you get it, it really is a great feeling and makes swimming breaststroke much more efficient which is especially important in longer swims. For me it doesn't work for sprinting at all. I'm fastest sprinting with a more flat stroke.
YMMV
Mark
