How to Learn Breaststroke

Martin Gomez   Aug 20, 2026

How to Learn Breaststroke

 

 

Breaststroke is different from freestyle and backstroke because the arms and legs move simultaneously and symmetrically. The key is not speed, but learning the kick, arm movement, breathing, timing, and glide.

1. Body Position

Start with a long, horizontal, and relaxed body position. After each stroke cycle, return to a streamlined position.

Long Body → Streamline → Glide

2. Glide

Gliding is an essential part of breaststroke.

Push → Streamline → Glide

Allow the body to travel through the water before beginning the next stroke. Good breaststroke is not about constant movement—it is about using each movement efficiently.

3. Breaststroke Kick

A simple way to learn the kick is:

HEELS UP → TOES OUT → KICK AROUND → LEGS TOGETHER → GLIDE

Bring the heels toward the hips, turn the feet outward, push the water backward and around, then bring the legs together.

A useful progression is:

Wall Kick → Supported Kick → Back Kick → Front Kick → Kick + Glide

4. Arm Movement

Introduce the arms gradually:

Reach → Sweep Out → Catch → Pull In → Recover Forward

The arms create propulsion and then quickly return forward into a streamlined position.

5. Breathing

Breathing works naturally with the arm pull.

PULL → BREATHE → FACE IN

As the arms pull, the head and chest rise enough to take a breath. Then the arms recover forward and the face returns to the water.

6. Timing

Timing is one of the most important parts of breaststroke.

The basic rhythm is:

PULL → BREATHE → KICK → GLIDE

The arms and legs should not perform their main propulsive actions at the same time. Finish each cycle before starting the next one.

7. Coordination

Now combine everything:

Body Position + Arms + Breathing + Kick + Glide

Start slowly:

One Cycle → Two Cycles → Three Cycles → Short Distance → Longer Distance

Focus on rhythm and technique before speed.

8. Common Mistakes

Common mistakes include lifting the head too high, opening the knees too wide, using a bicycle-style kick, starting the arms too early, failing to bring the legs together, and rushing through the glide.

A simple reminder is:

Finish the kick. Get long. Then start again.

9. Build Distance & Efficiency

Once the swimmer can maintain good timing:

Short Distance → Half Pool → Full Length → Multiple Lengths

Then gradually develop endurance, efficiency, and speed.

Breaststroke Learning Progression

BODY POSITION → STREAMLINE → GLIDE → BREASTSTROKE KICK → ARMS → BREATHING → TIMING → COORDINATION → FULL BREASTSTROKE

Easy Way to Remember

PULL → BREATHE → KICK → GLIDE

Pull to breathe. Kick to move. Glide to save energy.

In breaststroke, more movement does not necessarily mean better swimming. Good technique uses each pull and kick to create movement and each glide to conserve energy.