Swim Too Slow

I swim too slow but I try so hard. I am able to do the breaststroke but I know my technique is not good so am having lessons but I now seem to be worse, because it’s all so different from what I have been doing. I am so slow and yet I put so much effort in. How long does it take for improvement? I practise three times a week I have had 5 lessons. Thank you

If you have swum breaststroke for a long time having never been taught the correct technique, you may have developed some bad habits and those habits will be difficult to break.

The most common mistake people make with breaststroke is swimming along using the arms for propulsion and not the legs. Some people even swim without using legs at all!

Propulsion for breaststroke must come from the whip action of the leg kick and then the momentum from this propulsion is maintained in a glide with the arms stretched out in front.

This brings me to the second most common mistake: timing. The correct sequence for a breaststroke swimming stroke cycle is ‘pull, breathe, kick, glide’. As breaststroke is a very inefficient swimming stroke (because the arm and leg actions are very wide, causing resistance through the water), it is essential that the correct sequence is followed so that the body can continue to move through the water.


It is quite common for people to pull and kick at the same time (as you would for front crawl and backstroke) but the nature of the arm and leg action in breaststroke is such that if they occur at the same time you will go nowhere!

Next time you swim think to yourself ‘pull THEN kick’, and if you can hold your hands and legs together for a brief glide then you will be well on your way.

The key to easy breaststroke technique is to feel your way through the water and not fight it. Quite often if you try to get somewhere fast you end up getting nowhere. Relax and approach the stroke in stages thinking about the technique and the sequence and think less about how far or how fast you are swimming. Correct technique will allow you to swim further with less effort.

Our best-selling book 'The Complete Guide to Swimming Breaststroke' contains over 20 separate swimming exercises to help all parts of breaststroke, including breathing and timing. You can download it, print out the parts you need and take them to your pool to try out. Click the link below for more information.

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