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Basic swimming strokes


The breaststroke is one of the more accessible swimming strokes and as a result is very popular with inexperienced swimmers. It is a relaxed way to swim, though a top swimmer's racing stroke can be extremely swift. It is the default stroke of many swimmers, using less energy than other strokes, and is therefore vital to learn if you plan on spending plenty of time in the water.

Body position and performing the stroke correctly

A particularly important thing to master for anyone who wants to learn to swim breaststroke is the body position. Before making any actual strokes, a breaststroke swimmer needs to have their body straight in the water, almost like a floating pencil. Keeping as straight a position as possible is important if you want to be able to perform the breaststroke correctly. The arm and leg movement is also an important part of the process of how to learn to swim breaststroke. In order to see how to properly do this, it is a good idea to watch online videos or DVDs such as Volker Baars’ educational films. The arm movement is what gives the stroke its name. At the beginning of a stroke, the arms should be held in front of the head, with the palms facing outwards. The swimmer should then “pull” the water with their palms, until the hands are back level with their head. They then need to “scoop” the water up towards their mouth, before beginning the stroke again. The leg movement in a breaststroke resembles that of a frog, with the legs using the soles of the feet to kick the water away from the body. It is vital that you are coached in a pool in how to do this properly if you want to learn to swim breaststroke correctly.

Use technology to learn to swim breaststroke easily

Of course, one way of improving your chances of successfully learning the breaststroke is to do independent research and study, which will complement your work in the pool. The development of digital technology means that there is now a wealth of resources available to help you. Online films and instructional DVDs such as Volker Baars’ educational videos for children and adults are especially useful as part of this process. Watching a film allows you to see techniques more clearly as it can be hard for a coach to demonstrate them on the poolside. Slowing down and rewinding a film allows you to get concepts more readily fixed into your mind when it comes to how to learn to swim breaststroke. As with other technical sports, such as skiing or rugby union, digital technology makes it simpler to grasp ideas and to learn how best to practice them. If you want to learn to swim breaststroke, then it is a good idea to take advantage of the kind of learning resources that digital technology can provide nowadays. As a complement to your pool work they are invaluable. While nothing can really replace working with a real swimming coach in the pool, using digital technology to supplement your training offers you the chance to revise, understand and refine techniques, wherever you happen to be.


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