6 Everyday Struggles of a Breaststroke Specialist

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Photo Courtesy: Andy Ringgold/Aringo Photos

6 Everyday Struggles of a Breaststroke Specialist

By Diana Pimer

Breaststrokers are a unique class of swimmers. Some excel at IMs, while others can swim the stroke faster than freestyle. Even with these slight differences, there are some things that all breaststrokers can relate to. Not everyone understands why people enjoy swimming the slowest stroke, and some don’t really understand how to even move their bodies in that frog-like manner. Let’s take an inside look at some everyday struggles of a breaststroker.

1. Getting made fun of for your feet

Most swimmers have flexible ankles, good range of motion in their hips, and of course, strong shoulders. But most breaststrokers possess a set of turned out feet. This characteristic automatically helps a swimmer do breaststroke, because this outward motion is natural. And the weirdest part is breaststrokers embrace this. I remember being 12 years old listening to Ed Moses give a speech on how to make your ankles stretch outward more, and I’ve been stretching out my ankles on my school desk ever since. I also remember getting asked why I walk with my feet pointed out. Wait, that was just yesterday.

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2. Holding everyone up

It’s happened to all of us. You’ve either been the hunter or the hunted in a crowded meet warm-up. And there’s nothing more annoying than running into a breaststroker during a full-on sprint. But there is nothing breaststrokers can do but try not to kick someone in the head or the stomach. Breaststrokers are constantly getting run-over in warm-ups or practices. Sorry, sprinters!

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3. Making freestyle intervals…while doing breaststroke

Whether you are a club, high school, or collegiate breaststroker, there will be sets where you watch your teammates get plenty of rest on the wall and you barely make the interval. Fifties on :40, anyone? Breaststrokers are always racking their brains with questions such as, “how is this fair?” and “why didn’t I try harder to be decent at the other strokes?”.

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4. Having to change your pullout.

Changing your pullout can be both a positive and negative experience. Pullouts for breaststrokers are like putting on your best pair of goggles. You rely on them and you just do it naturally. But with the pullout rules constantly changing, this old reliable part of our race gets confusing, frustrating, but also incredibly rewarding. Breaststrokers always have to be ready to adapt.

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5. Timing

Breaststroke is all about timing. If one thing is off your whole stroke is off, there is no getting around it. From the kick and pull to not gliding into the walls, timing is something that needs to practiced every time breaststrokers swim the stroke or the race will not be successful. As difficult as it is in practice, focusing on timing is worth it!

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6. Not breathing

Here’s where I probably lost you…saying you don’t breathe during a stroke where you do, indeed, breathe every stroke? In breaststroke, you are very limited to when you can breathe. Most of the stroke is spent in the glide position underwater, because that’s when breaststrokers are the fastest. Breaststrokers don’t get too much time to breathe in training, either, since most of the drills involve staying underwater for extra time. Ask any breaststroker, we don’t really get to breathe!

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susanne pimer
susanne pimer
9 years ago

anther very good article

Samantha Waterson
Samantha Waterson
9 years ago

7. Complaints about breaststroke being easy.

Every breaststroker knows the pain of not being able to breathe or having trouble making the send off, but only the passionate breaststrokers understand the fury of a Backstroker(which you the breaststroker have wished to be for so long) complaining about how easy breaststroke is. They who can make the intervals with minimal effort, actually absorb air, and have very little technique involves whatsoever. To most breaststrokers, the only stroke that rivals the hardness of breaststroke is butterfly, but even they cannot diss their stroke.

NP
NP
9 years ago

Amen, sister!

Backstroker
Backstroker
8 years ago

Hey! Backstrokers DO NOT get to breathe whenever we want. Our breathing also must be timed (especially when swimming all out). We may have our faces out of the water, but we risk getting water up our nose or inhaling water far more than any other swimmer. Speaking of having our faces out of the water, it’s virtually impossible to know where we are in the lane when training outdoors, not to mention the blinding sun in our eyes!

William Hughes
8 years ago

Looks like we are going to Fairmont.

James Hooper
8 years ago

Here here.

Hayley De Greve
8 years ago

Brendan de Greve

Mark Grainge
8 years ago

They forgot to mention leading the lane on kick sets ?

Tyler Yates
8 years ago
Reply to  Mark Grainge

The biggest problem is when the kick alternates.. Last on flutter, first on choice…it’ll wear you out for sure

Lobezno Meneses
8 years ago
Reply to  Mark Grainge

It’s not so bad leading the lane, it’s the fact that kick sets are the only time breaststrokers lead the lane.

Mark Grainge
8 years ago
Reply to  Mark Grainge

Yes. I kind of misread the title of the post. My comment was meant as a breaststroker strength rather than struggle. But you guys got that.

Tyler Yates
8 years ago
Reply to  Mark Grainge

I’ve kicked a 35 before and wasn’t even that great of a breaststroker..I heard people like kevin cordes can kick under 30…

Tom Burke
Tom Burke
8 years ago
Reply to  Mark Grainge

Except when the coach allows fins.

Karen Kieffer Heinz
8 years ago

True true

Miranda Reetz
8 years ago

Abi L Young definitely the feet ?

Jordan Burnes
8 years ago

Jess Potter Jess Legge the struggles we had

Jess Legge
8 years ago
Reply to  Jordan Burnes

Trying to make freestyle intervals….the worst ??

Jess Legge
8 years ago
Reply to  Jordan Burnes

10x150s freestyle..”Jess why don’t you do every other breastroke” ?

Jordan Burnes
8 years ago
Reply to  Jordan Burnes

OMG yes I definitely don’t miss doing that lol

Rachel Nolan
8 years ago

Cath

Bethany Robinson
8 years ago

Breaststroke squad feel this ? Hunter Small Heather Baxter Staisya Murphy

Ma Lorena Mtz
8 years ago

Barbara Chastis algo así?

Emily Holmquist
8 years ago

Emily Taifer

Emily Taifer
8 years ago

Ah! Way too true.

Aek Lovemamee
8 years ago

Nugbin Binny

Micko Benrimoh
8 years ago

Daniel Ggumby Iarrera

Butterflier HöDzíí ElRïdï

Riham Maher Lotfy

Riham Maher Lotfy
8 years ago

?????

Paul Stanley
8 years ago

Calum Gorman Stephen Stanley

Tori Fountain
8 years ago

Tim Kraemer Sheridan Lillian Mullen

Lin Tozer
8 years ago

Cameron Gillespie

Paula Bost
8 years ago

Lindsey Bost

Ray Smith
8 years ago

William Hughes

Devin Alexandra Horan
8 years ago

Mk Jabbia

Mk Jabbia
8 years ago

So accurate

KR McNear
8 years ago

Cal Parker

Mike Stempkovski
8 years ago

Hannah Sophia

Jenna O'Brien
8 years ago

Mercedes LeBlanc

Angela Peterson
8 years ago

Kallista Peterson

Abi L Young
8 years ago

Miranda Reetz

Gonzalo Bunag
8 years ago

Swim breaststroke with triathletes. Feel the resentment when you overtake them.

Dyan Braden
8 years ago

Erin Braden Goss for zoe

Timothy Stirling Fraser

Bryony Thorne is it true

Bryony Thorne
8 years ago

Yes omg ??

Shaimaa Badr
8 years ago

Mohamed Ahmed

Jessica Duff
8 years ago

Bèthany Cooper

Bèthany Cooper
8 years ago
Reply to  Jessica Duff

the first one is the best

Bèthany Cooper
8 years ago
Reply to  Jessica Duff

like that struggle is real

محمد ابوبكر
8 years ago

amazing

Ashley Slayton
8 years ago

Shawn Cowper Daniels

Tom Burke
Tom Burke
8 years ago

Notice the image in number 5, where the breaststroker is trying to keep his head looking down (neck straight.) Try catching a breath with the water rolling straight down across your mouth and nose.

Bayley Van de Coolwijk

Saasha cause you’re a breaststroker

Emily Taifer
8 years ago

Emily Saccullo

AfterShock
AfterShock
3 years ago

And doing dolphin kick breaststroke during a stroke drill set beats doing a 6 kick 3 stroke backstroke every time.

Jason Rosales
Jason Rosales
1 year ago

Great article, very relateable!

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