Breaststroke for Beginners

The breaststroke is an easier swimming stroke, in which the swimmer lies chest-down and flat in the water. Features of the stroke include easy breathing, keeping the body as streamlined as possible, and the "whip kick."

  1. The Kick

    • Keeping your body as flat and close to the surface as possible, kick both of your legs out and back before circling them around back to each other, like a frog's legs. This is called the "whip kick." Try not to splash or have your legs break the surface of the water. Also, since one leg might be stronger than the other, try practicing getting both legs to kick at the same time.

    The Arms

    • Stretch your arms straight out in front of you. Then, push your arms out to the side in a circular motion around back to the chest, before stretching them out in front again. Make sure this entire circular motion is fluid, and that both arms are synchronized. The arms should be stretching in front as the legs begin to push out and back.

    Breathing

    • As you finish your arm circle, lift your head out of the water to breath. As you stretch your arms out in front and begin the whip kick again, your head goes back into the water.

    Synchronization

    • The key to the breast stroke is to synchronize the arms circling, legs kicking, and the breathing so that the motion is fluid and repeatable.

    Comparison to Other Strokes

    • The breast stroke is one of the easiest swimming strokes and should be one of the first a beginner should learn. The easy breathing motion makes it easier than the crawl, the backstroke, or the butterfly, and is a good starting point for the beginner into the world of swimming.