Advanced Drills for Enhancing Breaststroke

Breaststroke is often considered the most technical of all four competitive strokes. Unlike freestyle or backstroke, breaststroke demands precise timing, power, and coordination between the arms, legs, and body. Once you’ve mastered the basics, advancing your performance requires targeted drills that refine technique, build strength, and improve efficiency.

This article breaks down the most effective advanced breaststroke drills to help you swim faster, more efficiently, and with greater control.

🏊 Why Advanced Breaststroke Drills Matter

Breaststroke efficiency depends on:

• Powerful pull and kick

• Streamlined body position

• Precise timing between arm recovery, kick, and glide

• Minimizing drag

Advanced drills allow swimmers to isolate weak points, strengthen key muscle groups, and build the coordination required to master this challenging stroke.

🔑 Top Advanced Breaststroke Drills

1. 2 Kicks, 1 Pull Drill

• How it works: Perform two powerful breaststroke kicks for every one arm pull.

• Purpose: Builds leg strength, improves glide control, and encourages body awareness.

• Pro tip: Keep your streamline long between pulls to maximize distance per stroke.

2. Sculling for the Catch

• How it works: Focus on small outward and inward sculling motions at the front of the stroke.

• Purpose: Improves feel for the water and strengthens the “catch” phase of the pull.

• Pro tip: Maintain high elbows and consistent pressure throughout.

3. Breaststroke with Dolphin Kick

• How it works: Replace the breaststroke kick with a dolphin kick while maintaining breaststroke arms.

• Purpose: Enhances timing and develops a more powerful hip drive during the pull.

• Pro tip: Keep the dolphin kick small and initiated from the hips, not the knees.

4. Pull with Flutter Kick

• How it works: Perform breaststroke arms but use a freestyle flutter kick instead of a breaststroke kick.

• Purpose: Isolates and strengthens the pull, while allowing a continuous rhythm.

• Pro tip: Focus on fast, high-elbow recovery with the arms.

5. 1 Pull, 1 Kick with Long Glide

• How it works: Perform one pull and one kick, then hold an extended streamline for 3–5 seconds.

• Purpose: Trains efficiency, improves patience during the glide, and reinforces streamlined positioning.

• Pro tip: Engage your core to keep the glide straight and reduce drag.

6. Underwater Breaststroke Pullouts

• How it works: Push off the wall and complete the full underwater sequence (pull down, streamline glide, kick, recovery).

• Purpose: Strengthens underwater power and improves race starts and turns.

• Pro tip: Keep the streamline tight after each pullout to minimize drag.

7. Resistance Band Breaststroke

• How it works: Use resistance bands or a parachute for added drag while swimming full breaststroke.

• Purpose: Builds pulling and kicking power while emphasizing efficiency under resistance.

• Pro tip: Maintain proper technique — don’t sacrifice form for power.

🧠 Tips for Using These Drills Effectively

• Incorporate 2–3 advanced drills per session, alternating focus between pull, kick, and timing.

• Use short intervals (25–50 meters) to maintain quality over quantity.

• Combine resistance-based drills with technique-focused drills for balanced training.

• Always reinforce drills with full-stroke swimming to integrate improvements.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Advanced breaststroke drills are essential for swimmers looking to elevate their performance. By focusing on timing, power, and streamlined efficiency, you’ll build the muscle memory and strength necessary for faster, smoother, and more competitive breaststroke.

Consistency is key — the more you refine small details through drills, the more dramatic your race-day improvements will be.