{"id":649385,"date":"2026-08-03T07:46:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=649385"},"modified":"2026-08-03T07:46:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:46:05","slug":"swimmings-most-unique-stroke-the-reasoning-behind-top-breaststrokers-similarities-differences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimmings-most-unique-stroke-the-reasoning-behind-top-breaststrokers-similarities-differences\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming’s Most Unique Stroke? The Reasoning Behind Top Breaststrokers’ Similarities, Differences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swimming’s Most Unique Stroke? The Reasoning Behind Top Breaststrokers’ Similarities, Differences<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When Van Mathias<\/strong> swims breaststroke, the pool is silent. The 25-year-old, who has broken American records in the 50 breaststroke<\/a> and 100 breaststroke<\/a> this year, glides through the water with ease, no motion wasted, lifting his head no more than an inch above the water. It looks like he\u2019s barely trying, yet he\u2019s moving faster than almost anyone in the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s such a fine line between power and drag,\u201d Mathias said. \u201cI just try to stay on top of the water, and keep my hips high.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, watching R\u016bta Meilutyt\u0117<\/strong> swim breaststroke, a \u201cswishing\u201d noise rattles through the arena. The Lithuanian Olympic gold medalist powers forward over the water, her upper body leading the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy breaststroke is really about strength and efficiency,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m not particularly mobile, nor do I have a specific strength, but I have a great full-body strength and explosiveness, which I\u2019ve worked on a lot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Both strategies are effective ways to swim the stroke. Both swimmers are incredibly successful at implementing them. And yet, they vary greatly. Dave Salo<\/strong>, the former USC, Arizona State and U.S Olympic coach, believes the discrepancy stems from physiological differences between swimmers, more than any other stroke.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBreaststrokers are very unique, as you usually identify them early on in their career,\u201d he said. \u201cSo much of it is about things like hip flexibility, ankle flexibility, and shoulder flexibility.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The specific mobility and strength requirements of breaststroke make it unique, according to Salo, who coached Olympic-gold-medal-winning breaststrokers Rebecca Soni<\/strong> and Amanda Beard<\/strong>. However, he also pointed to different swimmers swimming \u201cdifferent methods\u201d of the stroke.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cSwimmers who swim different spans of events, might change how they swim,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With so many variations, what specifically fuels the sport\u2019s best to swim their style of breaststroke? And what similarities do their strokes share, allowing them to generate speed? We talked to some of the nation\u2019s best breaststrokers to uncover the truth behind the mystery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Do Physical Traits Create Breaststroke Form?<\/h3>\n

When Matvei Namakanov<\/strong>, an A-finalist at NCAA Championships for the University of Delaware,\u00a0 was growing up, he was captivated by Adam Peaty<\/strong>. He would watch the world-record-holder soar over the water, his quick kick snapping forcefully, looking to replicate his success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was so powerful, and shot right out of the water so quickly,\u201d he said. For Namakanov, though, attempting Peaty\u2019s style of swimming is nearly impossible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would die after 60 yards if I did his stroke rate,\u201d he said. \u201cI choose to compromise and prioritize other things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Such \u201ccompromise\u201d is what happens with many of the top swimmers. Salo explained that even at the highest level, many of his top swimmers have physical limits, influencing how their stroke is structured. He used coaching Staciana Stitts<\/strong>, an Olympic champion in 2000 in the 400 medley relay,\u00a0as an example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe was very rigid, without much hip flexibility,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we figured out that we were going to have a very narrow kick, and ended up having great success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, those strengths can even be adapted. Mathias referenced his increased strength after taking a break from swimming and lifting weights as a reason for his style of swimming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was doing a bunch of bench press work, so my pull became stronger,\u201d he said. \u201cI felt less connected, since I had taken a break from the pool, but I was stronger and really able to reach over the water.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Salo expressed a belief that there was no \u201cright way to swim breaststroke,\u201d due to these differing styles. He maintained, though, that three key principles must remain in every breaststroker, to be efficient. Those include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Extending your arms forward with your elbows out during your recovery, with your palms facing downward.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • A flat lower back \u201cso water doesn\u2019t congregate and create drag.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The very specific timing of the kick, in which the \u201celbows are kicked through the hands.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Without these elements, the coach believes it\u2019s impossible to have an effective breaststroke.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cThey\u2019re non-negotiable,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need to be able to get into a body line that moves smoothly through the water, and that\u2019s how.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Namanakov emphasized the same, believing that no matter the minor distinctions, certain traits must remain.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cI\u2019ve learned over the years, everything in breaststroke is about being tight and efficient,\u201d Namanakov said. \u201cWhether you\u2019re Peaty, or someone with a very low stroke like (Olympic gold medalist) Lydia Jacoby<\/strong>, you must apply those principles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Personal Preference Shifts Stroke<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    How a swimmer competes isn\u2019t just dependent on their physical toolbox; it\u2019s also dependent on the race that they\u2019re competing in. A 50-yard breaststroke often looks far different from a 100, and a 100 looks foreign in comparison to a 200.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Salo pointed to many of his athletes being able to apply multiple different styles of breaststroke, depending on the race distance. He used Russian Olympic medalist and world champion Yuliya Efimova<\/strong>\u00a0as an example, an athlete he claims had three different styles of breaststroke.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cShe would start her 200 with a long, hip-driven stroke, then speed things up in the middle, and then transition to a full sprint style stroke at the end,\u201d he said. \u201cWe ended up trying to get it down to just two methods, but it was very unique.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    The idea of swimming multiple styles of breaststroke is something swimmers indicate has become more prevalent in the wake of the 50 breaststroke\u2019s introduction to the Olympic schedule. They emphasized that the 50 was very different from the 100 and the 200, therefore requiring its own form.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cIf you\u2019re looking at the best sprint breaststrokers, none of them have a super wide kick,\u201d Mathias said. \u201cIt seems to be the most effective way of keeping and maintaining speed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Salo also admitted he had tested a new style of the stroke with his sprint breaststrokers at Arizona State, in the midst of the introduction of the 50 as an Olympic discipline.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cI was having swimmers compete with \u2018alligator eyes,\u2019 with their heads slightly elevated so they can keep up with the high tempo of the race,” he said. \u201cIt ended up being rather advantageous.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    The adaptations truly depend on the swimmer, their race strategy, and their preferences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cYou really just find what works for you,\u201d Towson graduate Brian Benzing<\/strong> said. \u201cIt\u2019s mostly super minute and small details, but it makes a difference.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Can Swimmers Change\/Adapt Their Style?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The minute details of breaststrokers’ strokes, whether physiologically-based or rooted in personal preference, are critical to how they swim. Especially when successful, the top athletes emphasized that they rarely make major technical tweaks to their strokes, instead relying on the style they\u2019ve developed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cMy actual stroke hasn\u2019t really changed in years; what\u2019s changed is my wisdom,\u201d Meilutyte said. “Unlike when I was younger, I look to maintain that stroke throughout the entire race, instead of getting caught up in the moment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Mathias even admitted that he rarely swims breaststroke when practicing, trusting in the form that has led him to this point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t do tons of repetitions of the stroke; it\u2019s mostly just about defining speed and changing race details,\u201d he said. \u201cYou change some really small details, but I\u2019ve been swimming for so long, my stroke has kind of become what it is now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Salo believes maintaining such consistency with breaststroke can be important. It\u2019s a stroke, he explained, that can shift by the day, because of its unique timing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cBecause of the timing aspect, one day you can be feeling off, and the next day feeling great,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s on us as coaches and swimmers to make sure we\u2019re still practicing the little details correctly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s a mental battle, one Meilyute has learned to handle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cEvery single detail of my stroke has gone wrong at some point, in the midst of my 20-year career,\u201d she said. \u201cYou learn to just maintain your focus and deal with adversity how it comes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Swimming’s Most Unique Stroke? The Reasoning Behind Top Breaststrokers’ Similarities, Differences When Van Mathias swims breaststroke, the pool is silent. The 25-year-old, who has broken American records in the 50<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146625,"featured_media":645888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,122607,10],"tags":[25274,108434,3236,138136,63186],"class_list":["post-649385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-swim-life","category-world","tag-breaststroke","tag-brian-benzing","tag-dave-salo","tag-matvei-namakanov","tag-van-mathias"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nThe Reasoning Behind Top Breaststrokers' Similarities, Differences<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Elite-level breaststrokers have used widely different techniques to achieve success in swimming's most unique stroke.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimmings-most-unique-stroke-the-reasoning-behind-top-breaststrokers-similarities-differences\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Swimming's Most Unique Stroke? 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