Anyone have any tips for kicking when doing the breast stroke? I can’t run because of my PF so all I’ve been doing is swimming. It’s starting to get old so I thought I’d throw some breast stroke in for a little variety, but I suck at it. My kick hardly moves me so I don’t glide much at all. Any tips?
There is a ton of great advice out there – but I send this page to my clients who want a change as well.
Graham
http://www.goswim.tv/drilloftheweek_comments.php?id=1142_0_20_0_C
and if that does not work, try fly kick with breast stroke arms…
Just be wary - th BR kick is hard on the knees…
Boy you’re right about that. About two weeks ago, our instructor gave us TOO MUCH whip kick workout and as a result my leg felt like I twisted it. It’s now 16 days since that workout and I’m still trying to recover from it. Can’t run, just started on the windtrainer and my leg has a constant ache in it!! Good luck!
Stay away from breaststroke kick – I swam competitively for most of my life, specializing in breaststroke…and have trouble with me knees even today.
I have a friend who is a sports Physio therapist, and his comment on breaststoke kick was that you could not design an action that is worse for the human knee if you tried! 
Most people keep their knees outside of their feet when doing breaststroke, because their form is off or they get tired. That is even worse. Doing it every so often and doing it competitively are two completely different things. Do it during some kick sets, etc and it can be a good thing.
Eric
You have all convinced me to scrap my plans for the breast stroke. When I try it now it bothers my knees a bit, but I thought that was because I wasn’t doing it well. I’ve got the PF, I don’t need knee problems too. Thanks for the info everyone.
My advise is that you don’t work at all on that kick. It’s a very dangerous kick for your knees if you don’t do it properly and if you are not going for a world record, you should avoid it. Some of my friends do butterfly kicking with the breast stroke.
I too was a competitive swimmer from age 8 through college. Specialized in breastroke, probably swam on average 6-8k a week of breastroke the last 6 years of my career. 58.5 in the hundred yard breast and never a knee problem, then or now. I think most people have their knees spread too wide which puts more pressure overall on the knee joint. Not saying it’s the best for your knees, just that it is possible to do without injury. Its not like it puts your knee in an unnatural position, just a position that requires adaptation over time. Start slow, like anything.
58.5 in the hundred yard breast
wow!
I’ve never even swum a 100y free that fast.
I used to swim competitively too. Breaststroke was my best stroke… but then I started playing waterpolo, and was warned when I started that the egg beater kick would mess up my breaststroke kick… It did… I can barely do a 50 today of breastroke (likely age has something to do with it too - waterpolo was nearly 20 years ago)…
oh well, I would if I could, but I can’t so I won’t… more freestyle for me…
I also swam competitive in High School and College 50 and 100 breast…no need problems at all. Of course I can’t run worth a darn…
One saying that I remember my coaches repeating over and over again was in reference to the kick… “UP ! OUT ! Together!” That may not help, but repeat it to yourself in the water once your technique is down.
Trisha
My brother is a breaststroker, and he’s pretty good at it. He’d be really good if he were motivated enough to train!
Distance freestylist here. I play at IMing in workouts on occassion, but am not particularly good at anything except free (but I like the other strokes!)
I was a breaststroker…
Running and breaststroke are not mutually exclusive. Terenzo Bozzone was my brother’s main competition in NZ in his age group for breaststroke…and didn’t he go somehting like 1.09 on the run for wildflower?
Frog kicking bugs my sore SI joint more than anything. I do a regular two-stroke kick with the breast stroke arms for the most part. I might try the butterfly kick after reading this thread.