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Breaststroke Timing

Swimming / Popular

Coordinate the pull, breath, kick, and glide sequence.

What coaches agree on

  • Every stroke both starts and ends in a tight, streamlined glide - that's the shape you return to before the next pull begins.
  • Your pull itself is what lifts you to breathe - as your hands sweep back and catch the water, that same motion raises your head and chest for air.
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  • Start bending your knees the instant your arms begin recovering forward, and save the kick's power for the moment your arms are fully extended.

Common mistakes

  • Kicking while you're still pulling - or starting the kick before your arms finish extending forward - cancels your propulsion instead of adding to it.
  • Lingering with your chest up in the breathing position instead of snapping straight back into streamline costs you the speed a continuous stroke would keep.