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Tips for improving your breaststroke kicking

Developing your breaststroke kicking technique is vital for improving your swimming.

The breaststroke kick provides most of the propulsion, and it is the most technical kick of the four common swimming strokes.

Read our breaststroke kicking tips from our resident Swim England coaches Lucy and Carolyn, or watch the video below to improve your swimming technique.

Breaststroke Kicking Tips

  • The breaststroke kick starts with your legs in a streamlined position and your feet pointed.
  • Bring your heels towards your bottom with the soles of your feet facing the ceiling.
  • As your heels near your bottom, your knees should be a little over hip-width apart, facing down and slightly out.
  • Concentrate on bringing your feet to your bottom rather than your knees to your chest.
  • As your heels come up, turn your feet and knees out and push backwards in a circular motion.
  • Keep your feet in this flat, turned out position rather than loose.
  • The kick finishes with your legs together, stretched an in a streamlined position with your feet pointed.

Breaststroke Timing Tips

Effective timing of the arm action and leg kick is key to making the most out of your breaststroke.

If your timing isn’t correct, your arms and legs end up working against one another because the arms pull and the legs push.

As your elbows tuck in at the end of the pull, your heels start to draw up to your bottom, ready to start your kick as the arms extend forwards.

In simple terms, the arms are in streamline while the legs kick and the legs are in streamline while the arms pull.

Aim to time your arm pull and leg kick so there is always something propelling you through the water!

More Tips To Improve Your Breaststroke

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