Different Styles of Breaststroke

Swimming is enjoyed everywhere a body of water is present. From Olympic athletes to fun-loving kids, the only rule to swimming is don't sink. There may not be a right or wrong way to swim, but swimming styles have their own distinct rules. One of the oldest, and most practiced, is the breaststroke, which has three distinct styles.

  1. History

    • The earliest records of the breaststroke date back to ancient Egypt and Japan. While no one knows where or how the breaststroke was invented, ancient Japanese races had swimmers using the breaststroke in the first century B.C.E. In the Middle Ages, the breaststroke was used to train knights who had to swim while wearing full armor. The popularity of the style spread as trade routes expanded around the world, culminating with the use of the breaststroke during an international freestyle swimming contest held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.

    Wave Style

    • Swimmers using the wave style start in a streamlined position with their shoulders drawn in. As they swim, their hands point downward during the insweep and move in a circular motion as they push the water. The elbows must stay on the surface of the water and level with the shoulders during the entire motion. Swimmers lift their head during this motion to take in breath. Then they thrust their arms forward and kick. The kick is called a whip kick because it resembles a whipping motion.

    Flat Style

    • The flat style is the most widely practiced breaststroke style in modern swimming. The insweep motion is similar to the wave style, but the flat style is characterized by the flat extension of the arms underwater during the start of the kick. The head is also underwater, thereby reducing resistance and increasing speed. The key is to lower the arms, head and back under the water at the same time. Swimmers learning the flat style practice shoulder shrugs as the position of the arms and back during a shrug is ideal for executing the flat style.

    Undulating Style

    • The undulating style is characterized by the swimmer's back bending inward, causing it to lift up and out of the water. The insweep motions combine deep leg kicks and upward arm movements. This motion twists the body into an S shape. Modern interpretations of the style are increasingly based around marine animal research, with dolphinlike motions being analyzed for their capacity to reduce changes in velocity. Compared to the flat style, the undulating style experiences less velocity loss between the fastest and slowest points during the stroke, thereby making it a more-efficient stroke when executed properly.