Courtesy of Gary Hall Sr., 10-time World Record Holder, 3-time Olympian, 1976 Olympic Games US Flagbearer and The Race Club co-founder.
Breaststroke kick is one of the most challenging techniques of swimming. A powerful breaststroke kick relies on having great flexibility in the hips and dorsiflexion of the ankles. To kick with power in breaststroke, a swimmer must be able to push backward with the instep of the foot with great force and quickness. The hip flexibility may enable that to happen, but a swimmer must also develop strength in the hamstrings to draw the legs up quickly and in the quadriceps to push the feet backward with force in breaststroke kick.
Many swimmers that do not have enough flexibility in the hip attempt to increase the power of the kick by widening the distance between the knees. Yet this technique creates a problem. With widened knees, a swimmer cannot get through the kicking cycle fast enough to take advantage of the tremendous coupling energy from the upper body pressing forward and the head snapping down. By the time they start pushing the feet backward, the body’s motion downward has already stopped, lessening the propulsive force of the breaststroke kick. Olympic Champion Rebecca Soni has extraordinary hip flexibility and leg quickness. She draws her legs up quickly, once her pull force is completed, and begins to push backward quickly just as her upper body strikes the water. It is the exquisite timing of these motions that makes her so powerful in breaststroke.
At The Race Club, we have found the Finis yellow elastic band , placed above the swimmer’s knees, is an extraordinary tool to help swimmers keep their knees closer together during the breaststroke kick and develop a more effective and faster breaststroke.
Gary Hall, Sr., Technical Director and Head Coach of The Race Club (courtesy of TRC)
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THE RACE CLUB
Because Life is Worth Swimming, our mission is to promote swimming through sport, lifelong enjoyment, and good health benefits. Our objective is for each member of and each participant in The Race Club to improve his or her swimming performances, health, and self-esteem through our educational programs, services and creativity. We strive to help each member of The Race Club overcome challenges and reach his or her individual life goals.
The Race Club, logoThe Race Club provides facilities, coaching, training, technical instruction, video, fitness and health programs for swimmers of all ages and abilities. Race Club swim camps are designed and tailored to satisfy each swimmer’s needs, whether one is trying to reach the Olympic Games or simply improve one’s fitness. Our programs are suitable for beginner swimmers, pleasure swimmers, fitness swimmers, USA swimming or YMCA swimmers, or triathletes; anyone who wants to improve swimming skills. All of our Race Club members share an enjoyment of being in the water and use swimming to stimulate a more active mind and body.