Please help me improve my breaststroke

[AllAboutSlime]

I think my breaststroke is OK - I regularly swim ~25 lengths and my head goes under the water after each stroke. But, I often feel like I'm at an angle in the water from head / up to feet / down. Sometimes I get a sore back as I feel like I'm arching my back or something. I also don't seem to be going very fast for my effort - I watch other people, and they seem to make efficient progress with slightly random swimming styles, whereas I seem to make slow progress with what I think is reasonable arm and leg swimming style 😄.

Are there any resources I could look at to try to improve things? Do I just need to try a bit harder to go faster? I'm trying to work up to booking a few lessons as well.

I'd definitely go on YouTube. Some great resources on there. Also, don't rule out finding a session with a coach and underwater filming etc.

Thanks, I will. And yes, you're right - I think my swimming style is OK, but it might be a bit wild 😄.

When I used to train (a long long time ago so advice has probably changed) so much about speed was related to your breathing. My technique these days is just about passable, but if I focus on getting my breathing in sync with my stroke, my speed noticeably increases. Also think about pulling out from your core on the out stroke. There should be a point in the swim cycle when you are stretched out like an arrow. Don’t go too deep either as you use up too much energy rising to breathe. Use your arm scooping action to help you rise naturally out of the water.

I also agree, a few sessions with a coach would help you to improve.

Lessons would really help because it’s hard to know what you’re doing in the water unless there’s someone there to watch you. You might be doing what you think the videos tell you to do but the reality might be quite different!

Lessons! I had a fab session on breaststroke this week. I thought my stroke was pretty good but but a few tweaks make a massive difference . Also the focus now is on staying narrow in the arms and legs whereas it used to be about stretching out.

Yes, your local pool probably offers either 1:1 or small class stroke lessons. I'm a breaststroker but am about to start learning crawl properly at the ripe old age of 50*something 😁...met a bloke in the pool who had had later life lessons on how to do a stroke properly and he couldn't praise them highly enough.

Dear God, I'm so old that actual swimming has changed 😄.

OK, thanks everyone. I'm going to hit YouTube, and I think I'm going to look at some lessons too