Hi I’m Duncan Goodhew and I was lucky enough to win one of these, Olympic Gold medal at the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980 and I’m just going to give you a few tips on breaststroke ahead of the British Gas SwimBritain challenge.
Focus on the technique, focus on how you can get through the water, it starts with a pull, you come up, breathe, lunge forward, and kick, as you kick, the whole body stretches forward.
Get as streamlined as possible, stretching out as far as possible in front but also make sure you have as least drag as possible and getting a nice long body in the stroke.
In breaststroke the kick is the key bit, its by far the most powerful part of your stroke. Think about touching your heels behind you and lifting your heels up towards your backside, that gives you a focus to lift rather than drop your knees, and then you flick at the end here, so you get this flicking movement of your feet at the end and that’s what gives you the propulsion and strength in breaststroke.
The head in breaststroke like every other stroke you don’t move it more than you have to, if you move it a lot, your body moves with it. As you come forward, you can lunge it forward and go underwater to get it to that streamlined position.
In breaststroke the power comes in the first 45 degrees, get in ahead and make sure that your elbows aren’t coming up behind you. As your kick explodes and it launches you forward that’s the crucial point to get as stretched forward as possible, reaching as far forward as possible to start the stroke again.
Over the years so many people have asked me this – open or closed (fingers).
I like to have them nice and relaxed but nearly together so as you pull, they’re not splayed but they’re not clamped together.
The water will build up and will be trying to get between your fingers but can’t and the friction of the skin will create more pulling area.
Breaststroke: Key points:
- Stretch out your body
- Lift heels to backside
- Keep head still
- Keep fingers slightly open