Breaststroke timing at speed

Setup

1. For swimmers who already have a legal kick and pullout.
2. Lanes by speed, circle swimming with a 5-second gap; keep to two or three swimmers a lane so the fast lengths aren't blocked.
3. Warm up first, including some easy breaststroke kick, since the kick loads the knees and hips.

How it runs

1. 4 × 50 m: 25 m of 'two kicks, one pull' (an extra kick with the arms stretched in front), then 25 m of normal stroke, easy.
2. 8 × 25 m building speed in pairs of lengths: easy, moderate, fast, race speed; 30–40 seconds rest.
3. Count strokes on each 25. As speed rises the glide shortens and the count goes up a little, but the order stays the same: pull, breathe, kick, stretch.
4. Every push-off uses a legal pullout: one arm pull right back to the legs, a single dolphin kick, then the first breaststroke kick.
5. Finish with 4 × 25 m at race speed from a push, resting a full minute between them, with a two-hand touch at each finish.

Coaching points

• Kick the hands forward: the legs finish their kick as the arms reach full stretch.
• At speed, the pull is quick and stays in front of the shoulders.
• Head goes back between the arms after the breath; eyes down, not forwards.
• Short glide at race speed, but never none.

Common mistakes

• Pull and kick overlapping, so the swimmer kicks against their own arms.
• A wide pull past the shoulders that stalls the recovery.
• An uneven or scissor kick when tired, which isn't legal.
• Two dolphin kicks off the wall, or one-hand touches at the finish.