Improvements in breaststroke across the board, over the past twenty years, are largely due to rule changes that allow better use of leverage and the elimination of drag. By producing an integrated rocking motion between the head and legs, with the hips as stable as...

The forward breathing style of the breaststroke makes the head position a factor in maintaining the forward line of the stroke. In addition, the timing of the breathing is crucial in reducing drag during the power phase of the stroke. Incorrectly timed, the breathing...

Breaststroke is the only stroke with a recovery that passes through the water rather than over it, leading to the potential for a great deal of drag. To overcome this drag, the breaststroke recovery must be an active part of the stroke, rather than a resting phase, as...

In an effort to overcome drag, and increase forward motion, the breaststroke arm stroke has evolved immensely over time. While it has remained a simultaneous stroke, many theories about what the arms do have been developed. The arm stroke has been described as a...

Unlike other strokes, the kick in the breaststroke produces more forward motion than the arm stroke. It also has a great deal of potential drag. It is a unique kick that uses rounded, lateral and completely splashless leg motion, where the soles of the feet push the...

Because drag is an inherent part of the breaststroke, achieving excellent body position is essential in maximizing the forward motion of the stroke. Like freestyle and backstroke, the core is the center of power, but in breaststroke, there is no side-to-side roll,...

Coordinated backstroke unifies the individual actions of the stroke into a seamless effort forward. With each part working together, the backstroke becomes easier, smoother, and more comfortable, as well as more productive. The goal of the following coordination...

Leverage in the backstroke adds potential power to the stroke, increases the range of motion at the beginning of the stroke, and enables the swimmer to sustain the stroke longer. It is achieved similar to freestyle, through the side to side rolling action of a unified...

Without your face in the water, it would seem that breathing drills for backstroke are a low priority. The opposite is true. Because rhythmic breathing is an essential part of sustaining any swimming stroke, learning to develop a good breathing rhythm in the...

The opposition timing of the backstroke makes the arm stroke recovery an active part of the stroke. While resting the muscles of the arm, the recovering arm must serve as a counterbalance to the stroking arm. Accomplishing this requires the recovering arm to be...

Of the many misconceptions about the backstroke arm stroke, the most common is that the arms remain straight throughout the stroke, like a windmill. A straight arm stroke is often associated with shoulder problems. It is also difficult, like trying to lift yourself...

An effective flutter kick is a significant part of an efficient backstroke. Although similar in its alternating motion to the flutter kick of freestyle, there are certain distinctions. Kicking well on the back requires employing leg muscles differently than humans...

  Learning to float well on the back is the first step in being comfortable with the backstroke. Good spinal alignment and core tension not only improve comfort on the back, but can also contribute to an effective backstroke. The goal of the following drills for...

A well-coordinated butterfly is a thing of beauty. The swimmer appears to move effortlessly through the water. Truly, a successful butterfly is less a matter of strength, and more a matter of a coordinated sequence of stroke actions. When the body position, dolphin...

Leverage makes the butterfly work. Using it is necessary to perpetuate the forward momentum of the stroke for any length of time. While the whole body, from the hands through to the feet works as a lever, high hips are crucial to benefiting from its effects. Leverage...

Breathing in the butterfly happens within the line of the stroke, so that the swimmer inhales when the upper body is naturally at its highest point, and finishes when the upper body regains its downhill position. Timed correctly, no independent head action is required...

The butterfly uses a simultaneous arm recovery over the surface of the water. It is this characteristic spread wing position that makes the butterfly such a favorite photo opportunity. It is important to use a relaxed recovery, however, variations in flexibility make...

The path of the butterfly underwater arm stroke is similar to the freestyle arm stroke, only it is done with both arms simultaneously. It is an extremely powerful arm stroke, and for a short distance can rival the freestyle in speed. However, because it is just not as...

The butterfly uses the dolphin kick, where the legs move up and down simultaneously resembling the action of a dolphin's tail. In fact it is more than a leg motion. It is an entire body motion. It is more accurately called simply the dolphin. Done right it is one of...

The best butterfliers combine grace and power in what seems like effortless forward motion. The primary point of technique that these butterfliers share is good body position. While the line of the stroke is characterized by a wave or rocking motion, it is a stable,...

There are many elements of the stroke technique that make up freestyle work in combination to produce coordinated forward motion. Each element affects another, together contributing to a unified, productive freestyle. The goal of the following coordination drills is...

Using leverage gives freestlyers an advantage. Instead of swimming flat, and depending on the small muscles of the arm, swimmers can use the body to roll into and out of each stroke. Doing so accesses more power from the core. By engaging the large muscles of the core...

Integrating the act of breathing into the stroke is a challenge. By timing the breath to the natural roll of the stroke, a swimmer can breathe rhythmically while continuing the forward line of the stroke. The goal of the following freestyle breathing drills is to...

Although there are many effective styles of freestyle recovery, they all have common aspects of technique. They all release the water. Each balances the stroking arm. All of them use a relaxed hand that is higher than the shoulder. The goal of the following freestyle...

With the long, sweeping, alternating arm action of the freestyle stroke, humans are capable of producing the most potential speed of all the strokes. To develop an efficient freestyle, the swimmer must be concerned with three things. First, achieving correct alignment...

An efficient freestyle is built on good body position. The way we float in the water is affected by our core tension. For a better freestyle, we must learn to shift weight forward, and achieve a downhill floating position. The goal of the following drills for body...

A productive flutter kick is part of a good freestyle. It provides constant momentum, and counterbalance to the arm stroke. Because the legs require a disproportionate amount of energy, developing a relaxed, sustainable kick is important. The goal of the following...

WHEN TO USE DRILLS : -Because swimming drills are one of a swimmer's best tools for practicing toward efficient swimming, they should be included in every swim session. They can be done as a part of warm-up to establish a foundation for the rest of the practice. They...

Swimming is a complex sequence of actions. Like driving, playing guitar, or typing, multiple crucial actions are performed at once, or in tight succession. Correct technique is necessary or the result is unsatisfactory. Certain types of drills are very successful for...

Olympic swimmers don't just dive into the pool like the rest of us. They start on a block called, appropriately enough, a starting block. London will see the Olympic debut of a track-style starting block with an inclined surface and a lip at the back. The blocks,...

Traditional high-volume model of training will not optimise performance It is probably fair to say that most swimmers and swim coaches see the number of hours spent in the pool as the main ingredient of swimming success and distances of 6-10k per day are not uncommon...

The efficiency of your swimming stroke is the key to success as a competing or training swimmer. An efficient stroke will significantly reduce wasted energy output through less drag in the water and a cleaner execution of hand and arm entry and recovery. Thus that...

The science of swimming is extremely complicated, involving the interaction of propulsive forces from the swimmer’s arms and legs and the drag caused by water. However, by applying new research courtesy of fluid dynamics and supercomputers, every swimmer can swim...