Breaststroke
A swimming stroke with a simultaneous arm sweep, a whip-like frog kick and a glide, performed on the front.
Overview
Breaststroke is swum face-down with symmetrical arm and leg movements. The arms sweep out and back in front of the chest while the legs perform a whip kick, and the two are separated by a streamlined glide.
Timing is the essence of breaststroke: pull, breathe, kick and glide follow one another in a smooth rhythm.
How to do it
- 1Start stretched out face-down in a streamlined position.
- 2Sweep both arms out and back toward your chest.
- 3Lift your head to breathe as the arms sweep in.
- 4Draw your heels up and whip your feet out, around and together.
- 5Extend the arms forward and glide before the next stroke.
Key points
- The stroke is a rhythm of pull, breathe, kick and glide.
- Draw the heels toward the hips, then whip the feet out and around.
- Stretch into a streamlined glide after each kick.
Where it’s used
Sports that use breaststroke:
Related techniques
Freestyle Stroke
The fastest swimming stroke, using alternating overhead arm pulls, a flutter kick and rhythmic side breathing.
Backstroke
The only competitive stroke swum on the back, using alternating overhead arm pulls and a steady flutter kick.
Flip Turn
A fast turn in freestyle where the swimmer somersaults at the wall, pushes off on their back and rotates to continue swimming.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Breaststroke to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Movement patterns
- GlideGlide is continuous, low-resistance locomotion in which the body holds a streamlined shape so that momentum generated by a preceding propulsive action carries it smoothly across a surface or through a medium.
- PullDrawing a load or your own body toward the torso — horizontal rows and vertical pull-ups — building the lats, mid-back and biceps and balancing the push.
Skills
- BreaststrokeA swimming stroke using a symmetrical arm sweep and a frog-like kick, with the head lifting to breathe.
- Front crawlThe fastest swimming stroke, using alternating arm pulls and a flutter kick while face-down.
- ThrowingThe skill of propelling the ball accurately and with control using the arm.
- BreathingThe skill of controlling the breath rhythmically to sustain effort and stay relaxed.
- Running formThe skill of running with efficient, relaxed and balanced movement.
Facilities
Disciplines
- BreaststrokeBreaststroke uses a simultaneous, symmetric arm sweep and a whip-like frog kick, with a distinct glide between strokes — technical, rhythmic and the slowest of the four strokes.
- Individual medleyThe individual medley (IM) combines all four strokes in a set order — butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, then freestyle — testing all-round swimming across a single event.
- FreestyleFreestyle is the fastest swimming stroke, swum face-down with an alternating arm pull and flutter kick — the stroke most people picture when they think of swimming.
- ButterflyButterfly is swum with a simultaneous over-water arm recovery and an undulating dolphin kick — the most physically demanding stroke, built on rhythm and core-driven body movement.
- BackstrokeBackstroke is swum face-up with an alternating arm pull and flutter kick — the one competitive stroke where you breathe freely because your face stays out of the water.