5 Tips for a better Breaststroke from Emily McClellan
- Finish Your Kick Really point those toes on the end of each kick. Follow through all the way until your heels come together. This will maximize your kick, promote a strong, tight streamline and help with your forward movement.
- Work the Walls Pullouts are so important. You can use the underwater part of your race to your advantage by being quick off the walls and into your pullout. Work on the glide and streamline off the wall to get the most out of each turn.
- Keep Your Head Down Eyes on your own race! Looking around will only waste time and energy. Watching the person next to you won't help you swim faster! Make sure to stay focused on your race. This also means don't bob your head with each breath. Keep your chin tucked and try not to move your head.
- Shoot Your Arms Forward This will help set your pace and tempo in the water. If you focus on getting your hands out in front of you, then you can start the next stroke to keep you moving forward quicker. Of course, you must remember to make sure your kick keeps up!
- Timing is Everything You want your arms to be catching the water while your heels are coming up to your hips. Sometimes the timing of the arms and legs are off. To fix this I think about “kicking my arms forward”.