Timing of Breaststroke Swimming

Why is the timing of Breaststroke swimming important?

Breaststroke is the least efficient of the four basic swimming strokes. This is because of the wide leg kick and arm pull, and the overall body position creates a large frontal resistance.

The part of breaststroke that is the most efficient is the glide phase after the kick and the arm recovery. The glide is formed when the legs and feet are together, and the arms are fully extended with the hands held together. This glide gives breaststroke its smooth, effortless movement through the water.

If breaststroke timing is incorrect, it will compromise the glide and create a greater frontal resistance, slowing the stroke down to an almost standstill or sink in the case of swimming! This is why breaststroke timing is crucial in helping produce a smooth and easy swimming stroke.

If the legs kick too late or the arms pull too soon or too much, then the stroke timing is incorrect, causing a disjointed and inefficient swimming stroke.

My eBook How To Swim Breaststroke contains over 20 exercises to help all aspects of breaststroke swimming stroke, featuring technique tips and focus points not available anywhere else on this website. Click the link below for more information.

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HOW TO SWIM BREASTSTROKE EBOOK:  everything you need to master breaststroke swimming stroke. 22 easy drills that focus on each part of breaststroke technique. From body position to breathing and timing. Decades of teaching experience all packaged into 1 easy file. Download to your device and master breaststroke TODAY! (click here for an INSTANT preview).

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When to Inhale and Exhale for Breaststroke

Please explain when to inhale and exhale for breaststroke. Should we inhale through the mouth or nose and exhale through the mouth or nose?

Please explain in detail how to breathe through the mouth or nose, how wide our mouth should open and how long inhalation and exhalation should be.

Also, my arms and legs are not coordinating. If I think about arms, I forget about legs being streamlined. Please tell me how to overcome this.

Inhaling and exhaling during breaststroke, or any swimming stroke for that matter, should always occur through the mouth and not the nose. 

Your Mouth Is Bigger Than Your Nose

The simple fact is that our mouth is larger than our nose and, therefore can inhale and exhale more air in a shorter space. This then makes the act of breathing during swimming easier than if we were to breathe through our nose.

As for how wide to open your mouth will depend on how much air you need, which will be determined by how tired you are as you swim. It will also depend on how big your mouth is; we are all different on that one!

When To Breathe?

During breaststroke, a breath should be taken every stroke. In other words, you should breathe in and out with every arm pull and leg kick, respectively. Breaststroke can be performed by taking a breath every other stroke, and this is also correct, but it can sometimes be more tiring.

The timing of the breathing should be as follows: as the arms pull around and back, the head is raised to inhale. As the legs kick around and back, the face is then submerged to exhale. The key points to think about as you swim are to ‘pull your head up’ and ‘kick your head down’, or to ‘blow your hands forwards’.

Swim Slowly And Get The Sequence Right

The best way to help the coordination of your arms and legs is to perform the stroke with a Water Woggle or Noodle held under your arms. This will support you and allow you to gradually perform the stroke. Focus on alternating the arms and legs and not performing them together. In other words, pull, THEN kick. This timing sequence is correct for breaststroke and enables you to add a streamlined glide.

The Simple Breaststroke Book

How To Swim Breaststroke

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Moving Backwards Swimming Breaststroke

I have a problem moving backwards swimming breaststroke and need your help. When I do breaststroke, I go backwards instead of forwards or stay in one place. I need to learn this before this weekend for the boy scout merit badge. Can you help me, please?

This is a very common problem with breaststrokers; you are not alone.

Your problem is probably with the timing of your arm action and leg kick, assuming you can perform them correctly. The most inefficient swimming stroke is breaststroke due to wide arm and leg actions.

The propulsion for breaststroke comes mainly from the powerful whip action of the circular leg kick. The arms provide a small amount of propulsion and balance, and the momentum is maintained in the glide where the arms and legs are together.

A powerful leg kick is crucial to generating some movement and maintaining momentum.

A common mistake is made when swimmers pull with their arms and kick with their legs simultaneously. If this happens, you will go nowhere and sometimes even travel backwards.

The timing sequence for breaststroke is ‘pull, breathe, kick, glide’. Forget the breathing part for a moment. The crucial point here is to pull and THEN kick. Only then will you give your body a chance to move through the water with some efficiency.

If you get the timing right and your leg kick is powerful enough, you can glide momentarily before pulling again. Swimming breaststroke will become easy.

You can download my eBook How To Swim Breaststroke instantly, and it contains 20 separate exercises that focus on all aspects of the technique, including the leg kick and the timing. The exercises are very clear and easy to follow; you can print them out, take them to the pool, and try them out. Click the link below for more information.

How To Swim Breaststroke

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