SwimPath Blog

Breaststroke is one of the most technical strokes and one of the trickiest to master. It's important to remember that Breaststroke is all about skill and efficiency so if you just move faster that doesn't mean you're going to move quicker. This post is designed to give you a couple key tips and things to work on at all levels to ensure that you are able to get the most out of your training time. 

• Your Body Position after each stroke on the glide phase should be as flat as possible. The glide phase is when you are moving the fastest so being as tightly streamlined and flat as possible will result in be even quicker and is one of the easiest things to do.
• Spend time sculling using a snorkel to see your hand movements ensuring they go wide enough. They should be in a Y position at their absolute widest, remember not to go too wide as most of the forward momentum comes from our kick.
• 2 kicks 1 pull drill is the perfect drill to ensure that your body is in the correct position after the pull. This drill should not be rushed, by slowing it down you will also be adding a small amount of Hypoxic element to your training which will help your under waters late on in races.
• Whilst kicking ensure that your legs snap back together at the end of your kick, this is made easier by squeezing your bum towards the end of the kick. Doing this will also put your legs are in the correct and most efficient position.
• The Breaststroke Pull Out is something that shouldn't be rushed, the movements should be quick and snappy but they each one should start when you feel yourself slow down after the previous movement.      

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• Improves overall general fitness working on more muscle groups rather than the one stroke you are specialising in,
• Working on other strokes can benefit performance, by helping with recovery and adapting work load,
• Reduces the pressure of trying to beat the time in one event as the swimmer will have a number of events and Best Times to beat rather than just one,
• Racing in different events increases race practise and helps improve racing skills and speed,
• The best type of training is racing! There are lots of top swimmers that still race in a number of events for training purposes, which helps towards their main event,
• You might surprise yourself with a good time in an event you wouldn't normally do,
• It keeps training and racing fun!

Hello, I'm Charlie Attwood, former GB international swimmer and breaststroke specialist. In 2013 I qualified for my first international junior team where I would compete at the European youth Olympic festival held in Utrecht, Netherlands. I came away with a bronze in the 200m breaststroke and then in the 100m breaststroke I ended up winning Gold.

Later, in 2015 I qualified for the European Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan where I won bronze in the 100m Breaststroke and then silver as part of two relays. The same year I competed at the 2015 world junior championships held in Singapore, this meet didn’t go as planned but I did make the final my events which I was happy with.

I then moved training programmes from my home club Taunton Deane to the British swimming national centre in Bath where I would be training alongside Olympians and world medallists ahead of the 2016 Olympic year. I didn’t make the Olympic team, but I did end up competing at the 2016 European championships in London the same year.

My favourite achievement was winning my individual medal in Baku at the European games. I am now working with SwimPath to help other swimmers achieve their goals. A top tip for you breaststrokers to aid your catch is to scull as much as you can in training, as this will strengthen your in sweep and out sweep to maximise your pull.