How to Swim a Faster Breaststroke

Many swimmers think of the breaststroke as a slow and gentle stroke, but when executed efficiently, it can give you a solid workout and have you moving quickly. These simple pointers can help increase your time when swimming the breaststroke.

Instructions

    • 1

      Do not let your head become totally submerged in the water. Many novice breaststroke swimmers do not realize that they are doing this. You can shave seconds off your time by allowing the top of the head to remain above water throughout your stroke.

    • 2

      Make sure that your fingers form a mitten shape as your swim. This will form your hand into a more fin-like position and will allow you to move through the water faster then a swimmer who has her fingers apart.

    • 3

      Remember the timing of the stroke: Kick, Glide, Pull. Many breaststrokers try to kick and pull at the same time. This allows no time for the glide, which is where the effortless speed can happen.

    • 4

      Try doing breaststroke laps with a kick board. This will help strengthen your kick.