Learned this new technique after swimming breaststroke the "old"way for 40 years. It was fun to adapt and I like the improved efficiency! The better glide phase is great, you really get to enjoy the feel of the water around you.
over 45 years ago, I held state records in breastroke doing it the old way. I took a 40 year break, I'm enjoying tweaking my stroke to the new way, so thanks for this useful video.
Just realized this new way of pull down when my boy went to a private coach, our team coach still using the old way. Very clear of explanation. Thank you
Being a competition breaststroker in the 1960s, I had started to add a discreet dolphin kick to my underwater section of the dive and wall push off. I was quickly taken aside by a referee and warned that the next time I did it I would be disqualified. An interesting side issue with all the stroke and rule changes is that it now means that all the old records based on the earlier stroke and rules can't really be compared to the modern stroke. The strokes are so different that the times recorded for each style really don't relate to each other because earlier rules prohibited the changes that allow a faster time.
Ive always hated breaststroke as it feels like im not moving through the water and hurts my back but now I'm thinking I didn't learn it correctly, even the under water camera seeing how the kick is correctly done is completely different to what i was taught. Ill give it another shot with the help from this!
As kids at swimming lessons, we was never given a demonstration of how to swim breaststroke. Any stroke to be honest. We got told to jump in the water and swim like a frog. I was the only person who'd ever seen a frog swimming having a pond in the garden. A few joker's were just treading water and said they was spawning, others were croaking and a couple just pissed in the pool and said that's what frogs do lol. Anyway it's my favourite stroke and the most easy, less effort and relaxing way to swim.
You were thought the "old" method, which is super hard and felt unnatural. The "new" method would get you immideately disqualified from "old" competitions, as both submerging your head and the dolphin kick used to be completely banned, because they make swimming immesurably less difficult. What I am trying to say is not that you didn't get what you were being thought, you were veing thought something completely different.
"Only" Anécdota, cuando era una niña veia por TV los Juegos Olímpicos, me encantaba la natación me quedaba embobada, pero Braza decía "que feo" claro, no veía el truco en el avance no sabía como lo hacían , pero seguia embobada diciendo "que feo" Braza. Más de 40 años después he aprendido Baraza y resulta que parece que lo hago bien!! 😂 Gracias por compartir !! Un abrazo desde el Sur de España. 💙🏊♀️🏊♀️🏊♀️
This was very interesting. I’m older, never swam competitively, but swim most days using breaststroke only due to shoulder issues. I’ve always wondered what a competitive breaststroke swimmer’s stroke looked like. This was an excellent analysis of exactly how they do it. Thanks
As a Masters coach I congratulate you on this well constructed video with clear explanations and a demonstration swimmer who is swimming breaststroke as per the commentary. Many coaching videos have excellent instruction and are let down by a poor quality demonstration from grid swimmer who has sub optimal breaststroke technique 👏👏👏👏👏👏
I swim regularly since I was a kid. In fact, I designed my own pool at home to be able to swim daily, if I want to, although I prefer to go to the gym (longer pool). I'm old school and I have been swimming the new technique for a few months now. It is more natural to me. I just add the "dolphin" kick and movements because it's fun and I am not in this for competition, but to keep myself fit. Thank you very much for this video explaining everything so well.
Having never competed as a swimmer (because I suck) I had no idea there used to be rules about keep your head above water. I just read about "wave breaststroke" in the context of triathlon swimming for beginners because my freestyle is non-existent and I'm sure I'd end up drowning if I tried it in a race! This is great information about breaststroke and really clearly illustrated - most helpful!
We are so glad to hear that you gained value in our video. We recommend viewing our Freestyle guide to learn how to improve your Freestyle swims. Keep at it!
I developed modified breaststroke after i was rehabbing from shoulder Labrum surgery. Same Breaststroke Kick but kind of like an underwater butterfly or a surfer paddling out, using mostly back muscles to propel. Now after i'm healed I still do it 50% of time to conserve energy.
Lo mejor detallado que he visto sobre Braza, aprendí en Enero/24, por lo menos alcanzaba varias piscinas avanzando y experimentando lo que aquí se menciona, con los meses mi número de brazadas ha ido disminuyendo muchísimo y me encanta este estilo, a veces lo entreno combinado con patada delfin todo el recorrido, yo sí noto que el deslizamiento bajo superficie cerca de ella, avanzas, la patada no me da mucha fuerza la tengo que mejorar, pero la aprendí sintiendo 5:32 que la impulsion hacia arriba de hombros, doblaba mis piernas solas, hasta que me sumergia y lanzaba la patada, es una experiencia para mi muy buena desde el principio, también es muy razonable lo que menciona en el video sobre la brazada, al principio la hacia "inconscientemente " más abierta, un círculo muy amplio y es verdad que se pierde fuerza,arrastraba el agua mal, ahora al doblar codos y antebrazo hacia abajo y atrás se genera avance casi invisible pero existe, es maravilloso, gracias por este video. 💙🏊♀️🏊♀️🏊♀️🏊♀️.
I am readin the comments and everyone seems like a great swimmer. I am watching this video knowing that I can swim breast stroke only with flutter kicks for a very short distance. I just learned how to sort of swim about a month ago.
Hi, try switching over to breaststroke arms and butterfly kick next to help with the body timing. Then add in the kick once you feel like you have mastered that technique.
Me too. Now head can go under water, hands leap out of the water, dolphin kick on start and turns. The stroke is nothing like it used to be. I think rules keep softening so stagnant records can get faster.
@@USMastersSwimming Yes, and thanks a lot. But it will be much clearer for beginner like me if on your future videos both style are shown side by side at same time (2 split screen). Just a suggestion.
What's hilarious is that this new information is 37+ years old since the days of Jozsef Nagy. The head underwater rule changed in 1987. The underwater pull rule change happened in 2005 making that piece of advice roughly 20 years old.
@@USMastersSwimming I never swam breaststroke. Always 50 free and 500 free and back then it was yards. I like the idea that they can dolphin kick underwater after they dive in and after the flip turn. We always had to immediately surface and begin swimming.
I never could swim breast stroke because my feet will not turn out for that old frog kick or newer whip kick. What amazes me is how varied the stroke rate was at the last Olympics. It didn't seem to make much difference in the length of the event, but stroke rates were highly variable. It did seem to even up as they got closer to the finish and most of them would up the tempo.
Mechanically impossible for me because my feet will not turn out, and at age 74, I doubt they will. I do prefer the over arm side stroke as a far faster and more efficient stroke.
This could be solved. With reflex integration. As a practioner and a swimmingteacher I can make a combination in my teaching aswell as in my practice. I will ne teaching Masterclasses on this subject soon..
Well, my body isn't going to change at this point in my life. It is more set in its ways than I am. I have had pigeon toes since I was a kid. Besides, the inefficiency of the breast stroke would drive me crazy. Each time you do the kick, just prior to it, any swimmer comes to an almost complete stop in the water. I have been swimming the old school over arm side stroke, the 3rd long axis stroke. I dropped the scissor kick in favor of the flutter kick and it took 3 seconds off of my 50 yard sprint time in 3 days. A much more constant speed stroke.
So strange, I modified my stroke to do this about a year ago, it just felt "right", especially the glide. Now I see it is how I should swim. I am a slow, open-water swimmer, so technique is not a disqualifier.
When I swam it was the old rules...no dolphin kick, head couldn't go below the water. I didn't mind doing the actual stroke, but hated swimming it in meets because you felt like you just didn't move. It was frustrating, at least for me.
@@USMastersSwimming LOL...my competitive swimming days are long gone. Now it's just for fun. And while I find backstroke relaxing, I'm done with the breaststroke and butterfly!
Thats very interesting, nice to see more analysis being used for this stroke. When I swam this stroke, it was under appreciated, and the olympic times were not tough to reach. This has been my main stroke for all my life, and I have 2 suggestions. One I am surprised the swimmers raise their mouths and bodies so far out of the water. That takes a lot of energy and detracts from the forward momentum. The second is why don't they take one stroke without bringing their head up, and then stroke with their head up, in other words breathing every second stroke. If you like these suggestions contact me, and I have another really good one.
My breaststroke has changed dramatically over the years, but you really need to practice that dolphin kick every time you touch the wall so that you will not get DQ'ed. And before they changed the ruling for the dolphin kick, I did get DQ'ed in a couple of races for doing it. I think in the shorter races for breaststroke the swimmers using arm strength rather than legs are going to get a major advantage if you train with the bobbing method, but that tactic isn't gong to work on the longer distances.
This was easily my best stroke when I was much younger and I remember hearing all the strategies that you mentioned as being bad. I swam in to my teens and was a top 3 finisher anywhere I went. Glad they’ve gotten rid of some rules that seemed dumb to me even then. Second swim was free, not nearly as good, but ledicky has been interesting with how she uses her legs. Always thought that was a little bit of a waste of energy. If my feet aren’t in water, I’m not moving forward. Anyone who can do butterfly well is a magician in my mind. Backstroke is for the boring and serial killers.
Is there a way where you can learn to make a stronger kick. I always move more with my arms and having a weak kick, means that I can't glide under the water very well. If at all 😅
She seems to hold her breath and exhale just right before lifting the head. Is this a sprint strategy or advanced strategy? I was told to immediately exhale after inhalation slowly and steadily.
Hi, the video is in slow motion. but there is a slight paws when the swimmer initially puts here head under water. For breaststroke, a swimmer should aim to have all your exhale out prior to your head breaking the surface again for an inhale breathe.
I wanna ask a question. When doing a breaststroke, is it better to take 1 kick followed by 1 breath or 3-4 kicks and 1 breath? I learned to swim back in elementary school and I always do 3-4 kicks and 1 breath, but I also see people do 1 kick and 1 breath. I want to apply the rhythm that won't make me out of breath quick and keep my stamina consistent
I thought the breast stroke was the butterfly in the current olympics when I walked into a room and it was on the TV. It does look like a mirror of butterfly.
LUL, i haven't go swimming for over 7-8 years, last week, a friend ask me if i could teach her how to swim breaststoke. After watching her swim, i told her that her breaststroke technique is weird, then i show her the old way. Kids around come and ask me for instructions.I told them to follow their guide. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't explain it., thanks for your video
How "outdated" is that, or am I not considered a Masters swimmer at 44 years of age? I learned that technique mid 90ies already, and competed until 2000 like this in Austria. Maybe our refs simply didn't care and I was outside of the rules all this time? The modern pullout has changed quite a bit though, very interesting video, thanks!
I’m not much of a swimmer any more, but I have a question for folks. Watching this stroke once only in the Olympics, I felt the kick was actually pretty different. Am I crazy, or were both legs not entirely synced up? It looked really different to me. It could be me 😄
@@USMastersSwimminginteresting. I learned to swim in the 1960’s, at a local school, and then at Girl Scout camp, where I learned my water rescue skills. My mom always used a side stroke because she never wanted to get her hair wet. As a kid, I thought that was hilarious, but as an adult, I get it now! On the rare occasions I get in the pool these days, I often find myself doing a high breaststroke or a side stroke, though, exactly because I don’t want my hair wet! I’m also much less *ahem* streamlined than I used to be, so I don’t get anywhere fast in the water these days. LOL. Honestly, if I want to move through the water at all quickly, I find a backstroke works best. I think it’s because my legs were always the strongest part of me, and I retain a lot more strength in them just from walking around! Fascinating video. I had no idea they’d stopped teaching the side stroke except to lifeguards, and that the strokes in breaststroke had changed so much!
Sidestroke is considered a rescue stroke because you can do it for a long time and keep your face out of the water. It's good if you are capsized or if you need to tow someone (hence the lifeguard training).
Is it illegal to do a dolphin kick with only a small v to look like a breaststroke, but the kick is a dolphin with a little v legs? Also, I try to move my body high to push my arms outside water with a little contact on water like a reverse butterfly arms stroke.
Wow, I actually never knew it wasn't allowed to put your head under water in breaststroke... I think I've always done it this way and no coach ever told me not to do it. The perks of swimming for fun I guess ^^
it's curious, I'm a very mediocre swimmer and I've always spontaneously swum the breaststroke this way, very modestly, because I like doing long slides.
What about one breath out of the water and the other not breathing? It's allowed in master... and it's suppose to be faster....! What's you're opinion?
Hi, thank you for your comment. We chatted with a TEAM USA Coach that specializes in Breaststroke. Scientifically, it is better to stick to breathing during every stroke. You will have better power and endurance because your body will produce less lactic acid.
Didn’t see anything about the hands now able to break the surface. That was a huge no no in my day. The stroke has become much less graceful since these changes. I’m a 70s swim guy. 😎
I watched some underwater films of Chinese female swimmers during the ‘growth hormone’ years (when they were shattering records). Their leg kicks were farcical - much more dolphin than frog. Hardly any separation of the legs, but plenty of downward force in the kick phase. I was pleased to see in Paris 2024 that technology and refereeing - and a better culture in swimming generally - seems to have eliminated the most egregious examples of stretching of the rules. I’m not anti-China. I loved seeing them winning medals this year. I think swimming lost its way for a while, especially breast stroke and back stroke, but it seems to be right back to where it should be.
@@USMastersSwimming Yes, thank you, I am a professional swim instructor with 20 years experience in UK where I run a free swimschool particularly aimed at parents who are unemployed and on welfare who would not normally be able to afford swim lessons for their children which is important as I am based on the coast in the south east of England near Dover. In the early stages of butterfly teaching I teach butterfrog before progressing to dolphin kicks. This is the only way butterfly can be used competitively in the UK as, I believe butterfrog was outlawed in the late 90's. Given all that I will be giving a link to your video to all parents of the kids I teach as it succinctly explains breaststroke easier for the kids to understand thanks to your excellent explanation and underwater visuals.
The new way is how most people swim intuitively- it's easy and fast. The old rules were in place to make the sport hard. I wonder if the new records will be in a different category, as it was way harder and slower to swim the old way.
Not that new. Some help. Have good head/spine alignment the whole time. Don't lift the head allow the motion to carry you out of the water. Keep the same alignment and be looking down at the water. Your mouth can be only a couple inches above the surface of the water. Much more streamlined. Keep the kick within the circumferance of your body. Again more streamlined. It will allow longer stroke length. Make very quick circles with your hands as your elbows come to shoulder level. Rebecca Soni had the quickest hands and that one a major factor in her being the best.
Pulling out to the side in Breast Stroke looses power. The stroke should mimic the start of a freestyle pull ot butterfly pull. If you use a measuring scale for pounds of pull on dry land you can discover what angle you as an individual should use for your pull. Out to the side does not result in more power during the pull unless you can do an Iron cross hang. I will say that every different person will have a sweet spot as to the angle of pull that will differ from another. Dave Noble #1 in the world in 100 & 200 Breast the 80-84 age group in short coarse meters in 2023
Learned this new technique after swimming breaststroke the "old"way for 40 years. It was fun to adapt and I like the improved efficiency! The better glide phase is great, you really get to enjoy the feel of the water around you.
We agree!
Kudos to your demonstrator who clearly showed what you described. She’s a great swimmer!
over 45 years ago, I held state records in breastroke doing it the old way. I took a 40 year break, I'm enjoying tweaking my stroke to the new way, so thanks for this useful video.
Just realized this new way of pull down when my boy went to a private coach, our team coach still using the old way. Very clear of explanation. Thank you
Being a competition breaststroker in the 1960s, I had started to add a discreet dolphin kick to my underwater section of the dive and wall push off. I was quickly taken aside by a referee and warned that the next time I did it I would be disqualified. An interesting side issue with all the stroke and rule changes is that it now means that all the old records based on the earlier stroke and rules can't really be compared to the modern stroke. The strokes are so different that the times recorded for each style really don't relate to each other because earlier rules prohibited the changes that allow a faster time.
Ive always hated breaststroke as it feels like im not moving through the water and hurts my back but now I'm thinking I didn't learn it correctly, even the under water camera seeing how the kick is correctly done is completely different to what i was taught. Ill give it another shot with the help from this!
As kids at swimming lessons, we was never given a demonstration of how to swim breaststroke. Any stroke to be honest. We got told to jump in the water and swim like a frog. I was the only person who'd ever seen a frog swimming having a pond in the garden.
A few joker's were just treading water and said they was spawning, others were croaking and a couple just pissed in the pool and said that's what frogs do lol.
Anyway it's my favourite stroke and the most easy, less effort and relaxing way to swim.
We hope this helped!
You were thought the "old" method, which is super hard and felt unnatural. The "new" method would get you immideately disqualified from "old" competitions, as both submerging your head and the dolphin kick used to be completely banned, because they make swimming immesurably less difficult.
What I am trying to say is not that you didn't get what you were being thought, you were veing thought something completely different.
This is very very interesting for someone who's done breaststroke only for 25 years.
Let us know if you try the new technique suggestions!
Before then it was customary to be taught breast stroke with head never entering the water :D
Explains why the records drop so easily when the rules change.
"Only"
Anécdota, cuando era una niña veia por TV los Juegos Olímpicos, me encantaba la natación me quedaba embobada, pero Braza decía "que feo" claro, no veía el truco en el avance no sabía como lo hacían , pero seguia embobada diciendo "que feo" Braza.
Más de 40 años después he aprendido Baraza y resulta que parece que lo hago bien!! 😂
Gracias por compartir !!
Un abrazo desde el Sur de España.
💙🏊♀️🏊♀️🏊♀️
Iv been doing since I was 11 years old im now 67 years old .I still do 3 times a week in the sports center pool .
This was very interesting. I’m older, never swam competitively, but swim most days using breaststroke only due to shoulder issues. I’ve always wondered what a competitive breaststroke swimmer’s stroke looked like. This was an excellent analysis of exactly how they do it.
Thanks
Hi Jimmy, thanks for the note!
As a Masters coach I congratulate you on this well constructed video with clear explanations and a demonstration swimmer who is swimming breaststroke as per the commentary. Many coaching videos have excellent instruction and are let down by a poor quality demonstration from grid swimmer who has sub optimal breaststroke technique 👏👏👏👏👏👏
I swim regularly since I was a kid. In fact, I designed my own pool at home to be able to swim daily, if I want to, although I prefer to go to the gym (longer pool). I'm old school and I have been swimming the new technique for a few months now. It is more natural to me. I just add the "dolphin" kick and movements because it's fun and I am not in this for competition, but to keep myself fit.
Thank you very much for this video explaining everything so well.
Wow, it changed a lot, back in the day if your head submerged or there was a dolphin kick, disqualification.
Yeah, exactly! I thought these rules were in place for the pricise reason to make it harder
Amazing shots of the swimmer!
Having never competed as a swimmer (because I suck) I had no idea there used to be rules about keep your head above water. I just read about "wave breaststroke" in the context of triathlon swimming for beginners because my freestyle is non-existent and I'm sure I'd end up drowning if I tried it in a race! This is great information about breaststroke and really clearly illustrated - most helpful!
We are so glad to hear that you gained value in our video. We recommend viewing our Freestyle guide to learn how to improve your Freestyle swims. Keep at it!
I developed modified breaststroke after i was rehabbing from shoulder Labrum surgery. Same Breaststroke Kick but kind of like an underwater butterfly or a surfer paddling out, using mostly back muscles to propel. Now after i'm healed I still do it 50% of time to conserve energy.
Hope this video helped. We hope your recovery improves soon!
Lo mejor detallado que he visto sobre Braza, aprendí en Enero/24, por lo menos alcanzaba varias piscinas avanzando y experimentando lo que aquí se menciona, con los meses mi número de brazadas ha ido disminuyendo muchísimo y me encanta este estilo, a veces lo entreno combinado con patada delfin todo el recorrido, yo sí noto que el deslizamiento bajo superficie cerca de ella, avanzas, la patada no me da mucha fuerza la tengo que mejorar, pero la aprendí sintiendo 5:32 que la impulsion hacia arriba de hombros, doblaba mis piernas solas, hasta que me sumergia y lanzaba la patada, es una experiencia para mi muy buena desde el principio, también es muy razonable lo que menciona en el video sobre la brazada, al principio la hacia "inconscientemente " más abierta, un círculo muy amplio y es verdad que se pierde fuerza,arrastraba el agua mal, ahora al doblar codos y antebrazo hacia abajo y atrás se genera avance casi invisible pero existe, es maravilloso, gracias por este video.
💙🏊♀️🏊♀️🏊♀️🏊♀️.
Thank You for this beautiful and informative video!
She just looks amazing in that swimsuite and that swimming technique. And awesome underwater camera work.
I am readin the comments and everyone seems like a great swimmer. I am watching this video knowing that I can swim breast stroke only with flutter kicks for a very short distance. I just learned how to sort of swim about a month ago.
Hi, try switching over to breaststroke arms and butterfly kick next to help with the body timing. Then add in the kick once you feel like you have mastered that technique.
All the things I used to get DQ’d for in my youth are now perfectly legal. 😊
You were ahead of your time!
Yes, I stopped competitive swimming in 1987.
Me too. Now head can go under water, hands leap out of the water, dolphin kick on start and turns. The stroke is nothing like it used to be. I think rules keep softening so stagnant records can get faster.
@@edwardharvey7687 Also a front tumble turn on backstroke.
Same
Thank very much for the drill
Knowledge is power.
Thank you.
You are very welcome.
Is it better to push your hands sideways or can you also push them back like in freestyle close to your body?
I have seen this variant, too.
Scott, thanks! Jeff Commings has really changed my breast stroke over the years! Much like you are teaching! Nice nod, coach!
Thank you for your note! We will pass it along to Jeff.
Thank you.
I'll be glad If there is side by side comparison video ofthe old and new
Hi, in the video, we have it showing the old and then the new way of swimming the strokes!
@@USMastersSwimming Yes, and thanks a lot. But it will be much clearer for beginner like me if on your future videos both style are shown side by side at same time (2 split screen). Just a suggestion.
What's hilarious is that this new information is 37+ years old since the days of Jozsef Nagy. The head underwater rule changed in 1987. The underwater pull rule change happened in 2005 making that piece of advice roughly 20 years old.
Thanks, I will try this
Let us know how it went!
I was on the swim team in high school in the 70's and have noticed all the differences in all the strokes.
Which one works best for you?
@@USMastersSwimming I never swam breaststroke. Always 50 free and 500 free and back then it was yards. I like the idea that they can dolphin kick underwater after they dive in and after the flip turn. We always had to immediately surface and begin swimming.
@@DonnaBrew Try out these tips and let us know how it went!
Excellent video, thanks. Now I just have to get my daughter to watch it!
Awesome, can't wait to get to the pool.
Great to hear. Please let us know if these tips help!
Really is a different stroke than what we were swimming in the '70s. No wonder why kids are so much faster today.
Amazing video and explanation.
I love this channel. thank you very much!
We appreciate your kind words about our UA-cam content.
@@USMastersSwimming concise and precise that is what I like the most.
Thanks for the video.
you forgot the wide knee position of the past (frog like) being replaced by more narrow position to reduce drag
I was waiting for the kick to be addressed and then the video ended. I was taught a very different way to kick in the 80s-90s
Amazing video, thanks ❤
I never could swim breast stroke because my feet will not turn out for that old frog kick or newer whip kick. What amazes me is how varied the stroke rate was at the last Olympics. It didn't seem to make much difference in the length of the event, but stroke rates were highly variable. It did seem to even up as they got closer to the finish and most of them would up the tempo.
Breaststroke is a challenging stroke to learn the technique! Just keep at it.
Mechanically impossible for me because my feet will not turn out, and at age 74, I doubt they will. I do prefer the over arm side stroke as a far faster and more efficient stroke.
This could be solved. With reflex integration. As a practioner and a swimmingteacher I can make a combination in my teaching aswell as in my practice. I will ne teaching Masterclasses on this subject soon..
Well, my body isn't going to change at this point in my life. It is more set in its ways than I am. I have had pigeon toes since I was a kid. Besides, the inefficiency of the breast stroke would drive me crazy. Each time you do the kick, just prior to it, any swimmer comes to an almost complete stop in the water. I have been swimming the old school over arm side stroke, the 3rd long axis stroke. I dropped the scissor kick in favor of the flutter kick and it took 3 seconds off of my 50 yard sprint time in 3 days. A much more constant speed stroke.
Thanks will give it a go
Let us know how it went!
So strange, I modified my stroke to do this about a year ago, it just felt "right", especially the glide. Now I see it is how I should swim. I am a slow, open-water swimmer, so technique is not a disqualifier.
When I swam it was the old rules...no dolphin kick, head couldn't go below the water. I didn't mind doing the actual stroke, but hated swimming it in meets because you felt like you just didn't move. It was frustrating, at least for me.
Breaststroke is a challenging stroke. Keep at it!
@@USMastersSwimming LOL...my competitive swimming days are long gone. Now it's just for fun. And while I find backstroke relaxing, I'm done with the breaststroke and butterfly!
I swam in the sixties, lots of differences in every stroke since then
might try this as i could never do the old way!
It's super easy and fast to swim this way. Enjoy!
Great new technique
Thanks, let us know how you did with the new technique.
Thats very interesting, nice to see more analysis being used for this stroke. When I swam this stroke, it was under appreciated, and the olympic times were not tough to reach. This has been my main stroke for all my life, and I have 2 suggestions. One I am surprised the swimmers raise their mouths and bodies so far out of the water. That takes a lot of energy and detracts from the forward momentum. The second is why don't they take one stroke without bringing their head up, and then stroke with their head up, in other words breathing every second stroke. If you like these suggestions contact me, and I have another really good one.
Hi, thank you for your insights. We will consider the technique adjustments during our next round of videos on the stroke.
I did it that way... Others said then it was double stroke... I was swimming breaststroke from 1986- 1993
The higher your body position is the less drag you have from your shoulders and chest pushing on water thus being faster.
My breaststroke has changed dramatically over the years, but you really need to practice that dolphin kick every time you touch the wall so that you will not get DQ'ed. And before they changed the ruling for the dolphin kick, I did get DQ'ed in a couple of races for doing it. I think in the shorter races for breaststroke the swimmers using arm strength rather than legs are going to get a major advantage if you train with the bobbing method, but that tactic isn't gong to work on the longer distances.
What do the leading swimmers. eg Adam Peaty do?
This was easily my best stroke when I was much younger and I remember hearing all the strategies that you mentioned as being bad. I swam in to my teens and was a top 3 finisher anywhere I went. Glad they’ve gotten rid of some rules that seemed dumb to me even then.
Second swim was free, not nearly as good, but ledicky has been interesting with how she uses her legs. Always thought that was a little bit of a waste of energy. If my feet aren’t in water, I’m not moving forward.
Anyone who can do butterfly well is a magician in my mind.
Backstroke is for the boring and serial killers.
Breaststroke and butterfly are interesting swim techniques. 😅
Is there a way where you can learn to make a stronger kick. I always move more with my arms and having a weak kick, means that I can't glide under the water very well. If at all 😅
We will be releasing a whole series to help with breaststroke soon. Stay tuned for the release of the video series by subscribing to our channel.
I've never learned the breaststroke. I have a pool now, and so I will be trying this.
Great, let us know if these tips help. Make sure to review our breaststroke dedicated playlist for more tips!.
Music a little too loud but great vido
Thank you for the note. We will pass that along to the video editor.
See you guys at Summer Nationals!
Next week, yeah!
She seems to hold her breath and exhale just right before lifting the head. Is this a sprint strategy or advanced strategy? I was told to immediately exhale after inhalation slowly and steadily.
Hi, the video is in slow motion. but there is a slight paws when the swimmer initially puts here head under water. For breaststroke, a swimmer should aim to have all your exhale out prior to your head breaking the surface again for an inhale breathe.
I wanna ask a question. When doing a breaststroke, is it better to take 1 kick followed by 1 breath or 3-4 kicks and 1 breath? I learned to swim back in elementary school and I always do 3-4 kicks and 1 breath, but I also see people do 1 kick and 1 breath. I want to apply the rhythm that won't make me out of breath quick and keep my stamina consistent
I remember those Total Immersion videos from over 10 years ago
Would it be better to described as push down and not pull down?
I thought the breast stroke was the butterfly in the current olympics when I walked into a room and it was on the TV. It does look like a mirror of butterfly.
Great tips. Most important thing is adapting the style for the athlete and the length of the race. There is no universal way of doing it.
Unsure how this comment is related to our swim technique video.
@@USMastersSwimming this was another video but UA-cam auto played yours as I typed. Funny how it works
Very helpful
LUL, i haven't go swimming for over 7-8 years, last week, a friend ask me if i could teach her how to swim breaststoke. After watching her swim, i told her that her breaststroke technique is weird, then i show her the old way. Kids around come and ask me for instructions.I told them to follow their guide. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't explain it., thanks for your video
Thanks for the note. We hope to see you back in the pool!
Thank you 😊
I swim for exercise and I can't figure out how the really good swimners manage to lift their heads and chests so high above the water.
Try out these tips and let us know how it went!
With no rules, how fast could someone swim on let say 50-100m and what would it look like?
THANK YOU SCOTT, great & ilustrative vídeo, I really appreciatte. Best regards
How "outdated" is that, or am I not considered a Masters swimmer at 44 years of age? I learned that technique mid 90ies already, and competed until 2000 like this in Austria. Maybe our refs simply didn't care and I was outside of the rules all this time? The modern pullout has changed quite a bit though, very interesting video, thanks!
I’m not much of a swimmer any more, but I have a question for folks. Watching this stroke once only in the Olympics, I felt the kick was actually pretty different. Am I crazy, or were both legs not entirely synced up? It looked really different to me. It could be me 😄
Is Sidestroke a thing of the past now? I never see any videos on that.
Lifeguards are still taught sidestroke. This stroke is no longer used by most people.
@@USMastersSwimminginteresting. I learned to swim in the 1960’s, at a local school, and then at Girl Scout camp, where I learned my water rescue skills. My mom always used a side stroke because she never wanted to get her hair wet. As a kid, I thought that was hilarious, but as an adult, I get it now! On the rare occasions I get in the pool these days, I often find myself doing a high breaststroke or a side stroke, though, exactly because I don’t want my hair wet! I’m also much less *ahem* streamlined than I used to be, so I don’t get anywhere fast in the water these days. LOL. Honestly, if I want to move through the water at all quickly, I find a backstroke works best. I think it’s because my legs were always the strongest part of me, and I retain a lot more strength in them just from walking around!
Fascinating video. I had no idea they’d stopped teaching the side stroke except to lifeguards, and that the strokes in breaststroke had changed so much!
Sidestroke is considered a rescue stroke because you can do it for a long time and keep your face out of the water. It's good if you are capsized or if you need to tow someone (hence the lifeguard training).
Yeah, I learned the stroke and drill, still practice it today, never had to use it,..........yet!
😊 ty
Is it illegal to do a dolphin kick with only a small v to look like a breaststroke, but the kick is a dolphin with a little v legs? Also, I try to move my body high to push my arms outside water with a little contact on water like a reverse butterfly arms stroke.
I love breastroke but I realised I was getting hip pain due to frog legging too hard, need to work on that!
Wow, I actually never knew it wasn't allowed to put your head under water in breaststroke... I think I've always done it this way and no coach ever told me not to do it. The perks of swimming for fun I guess ^^
Hi, way back in the day breaststrokers had to keep their some part of their head above the surface.
@@USMastersSwimming Oh yeah I believe you, I was just surprised to learn it
it's curious, I'm a very mediocre swimmer and I've always spontaneously swum the breaststroke this way, very modestly, because I like doing long slides.
The beauty of the swimmer contrasted by the NPC in the background at 2:55 :)
What about one breath out of the water and the other not breathing? It's allowed in master... and it's suppose to be faster....! What's you're opinion?
Hi, thank you for your comment. We chatted with a TEAM USA Coach that specializes in Breaststroke. Scientifically, it is better to stick to breathing during every stroke. You will have better power and endurance because your body will produce less lactic acid.
Ok thank you..., but 50's races you can spend less time as in butterfly ....
I wondered about all that.
Ugh I would have been soooo much faster as a kid if I had known these techniques, but, of course, they hadn’t been invented yet!
Is. Good. Thanks. You ❤
Wow!
Please make a breaststroke dolphin kick video. No rules for recreational swimmers. Just want the most efficient movement.
Dolphin kick with breaststroke arms should have the kick when the arms shoot forward and then again when the arms pulling back the water.
The secret to a more efficient open water swim with breaststroke is through a dolphin kick. I believe it's time for fina to reconsider the rule again.
Couldn’t agree more! A dolphin kick at the end of the breaststroke kick as the head comes up is much faster and more efficient.
Dolphin kick should be authorized as it is a natural movement.
Didn’t see anything about the hands now able to break the surface. That was a huge no no in my day. The stroke has become much less graceful since these changes. I’m a 70s swim guy. 😎
I pretty much always get thrown off by stroke count so that's a big one
I watched some underwater films of Chinese female swimmers during the ‘growth hormone’ years (when they were shattering records). Their leg kicks were farcical - much more dolphin than frog. Hardly any separation of the legs, but plenty of downward force in the kick phase. I was pleased to see in Paris 2024 that technology and refereeing - and a better culture in swimming generally - seems to have eliminated the most egregious examples of stretching of the rules.
I’m not anti-China. I loved seeing them winning medals this year. I think swimming lost its way for a while, especially breast stroke and back stroke, but it seems to be right back to where it should be.
Genial
Very good job! Thank you. Steve Friederang, publisher, Competitive Swimmer Magazine. If you'd like to take this farther, I'd love to Zoom with you!
Interesting video on you tube, 1936 Olympics Breaststroke, half the swimmers using Butterfly arms with Breaststroke legs.
During Butterfly competitions, USMS still allows this technique: Butterfly arms with Breaststroke legs. This technique is called Butter-Frog.
@@USMastersSwimming Yes, thank you, I am a professional swim instructor with 20 years experience in UK where I run a free swimschool particularly aimed at parents who are unemployed and on welfare who would not normally be able to afford swim lessons for their children which is important as I am based on the coast in the south east of England near Dover. In the early stages of butterfly teaching I teach butterfrog before progressing to dolphin kicks. This is the only way butterfly can be used competitively in the UK as, I believe butterfrog was outlawed in the late 90's. Given all that I will be giving a link to your video to all parents of the kids I teach as it succinctly explains breaststroke easier for the kids to understand thanks to your excellent explanation and underwater visuals.
I started swim team in 74 and swam breast stroke this way because the other way hurt my neck.
🏊🏻♀️🏊🏻♂️
This modern breast stroke looks an awful lot like the way I learned it in the 60’s when I made the transition from frog kick to whip kick.
Me too. What's old is new again. I'm 73.🏊♀️
The new way is how most people swim intuitively- it's easy and fast. The old rules were in place to make the sport hard.
I wonder if the new records will be in a different category, as it was way harder and slower to swim the old way.
I like breathing every 2-3 strokes. Why isn’t that allowed?
You get more oxygen to your muscles with the recommended breathing pattern.
❤️❤️❤️🏊🏊🏊🏊❤️❤️❤️
how is she managing her buoyancy to stay under for those kicks?
Most swimmer breath out a tad turn the turn to help with marinating proper buoyancy.
Since it’s a different stroke there is no way to legitimately compare records from before and now.
Hi. Swim is more a science than art. Just do the science part of it
I find that I get almost no propulsion from my leg kicks, where my spouse gets a huge amount of propulsion from her leg kicks.
Some people have great leg technique and others have better propulsion from their arm technique.
So did they change the name of this stroke? Why did it need be changed? Now the old records are meaningless?
Not that were are aware of with a name change. Water bug is just what breaststroke looks like.
It'll soon be legal to be an actual dolphin 😂
Where did you get that from?
Fox?
Now you guys have come back to the old traditional way of doing breast stroke... This is how it has always being done for ages ..
Not that new. Some help. Have good head/spine alignment the whole time. Don't lift the head allow the motion to carry you out of the water. Keep the same alignment and be looking down at the water. Your mouth can be only a couple inches above the surface of the water. Much more streamlined. Keep the kick within the circumferance of your body. Again more streamlined. It will allow longer stroke length. Make very quick circles with your hands as your elbows come to shoulder level. Rebecca Soni had the quickest hands and that one a major factor in her being the best.
Thank you for your thoughts on the video.
Pulling out to the side in Breast Stroke looses power. The stroke should mimic the start of a freestyle pull ot butterfly pull. If you use a measuring scale for pounds of pull on dry land you can discover what angle you as an individual should use for your pull. Out to the side does not result in more power during the pull unless you can do an Iron cross hang. I will say that every different person will have a sweet spot as to the angle of pull that will differ from another.
Dave Noble #1 in the world in 100 & 200 Breast the 80-84 age group in short coarse meters in 2023
Hmm, I guess I learned this new technique in the 1980s?
Don't know how is that "new" ,I was taught to swim by this "modern" technique more than 30 years ago...
This looks like a completely new stroke and not a breaststroke.