Enhancing the Glide Phase: Drills for Streamlined Breaststroke Swimming

Breaststroke is the only stroke with a built-in glide phase — a moment of stillness and efficiency that can make or break your swim. Mastering this phase isn’t about pausing or coasting. It’s about maximizing momentum, reducing drag, and holding perfect body alignment between the pull and kick.

In this article, we’ll explain why the glide phase is so critical in breaststroke and share effective drills to enhance it, helping you swim with more speed, less effort, and better form.

🧠 Why the Glide Phase Matters

After the pull and kick, the glide phase is where you:

• Hold your momentum

• Streamline your body

• Reduce resistance

• Recover efficiently for the next stroke

Poor glide technique often results in:

• Drag from improper body position

• Early fatigue due to wasted energy

• Choppy stroke rhythm

✅ A smooth, well-timed glide leads to greater speed and more controlled energy use.

🔄 Key Elements of an Effective Glide

• Streamline Position: Arms fully extended, hands together, head tucked, body aligned

• Timing: Glide long enough to benefit from momentum — but not so long that you decelerate

• Balance: Keep hips near the surface and legs straight behind

• Breath Control: Exhale during glide to stay relaxed and buoyant

🛠️ Best Drills to Improve the Glide Phase

1. Glide and Kick Drill

Purpose: Isolate and emphasize glide length and body position.

How to Do It:

• Push off in streamline, glide as far as possible

• Add one breaststroke kick after momentum slows

• Repeat with focus on holding the streamline position

✅ Improves distance per kick and awareness of when to initiate the next stroke.

2. 3-Second Glide Drill

Purpose: Train timing discipline and muscle memory for the glide.

How to Do It:

• Swim full breaststroke, but hold each glide for a count of three

• Focus on staying still and aligned during the glide

✅ Builds patience, streamlining, and balance in each stroke cycle.

3. Pullout-Only Drill

Purpose: Emphasize the streamlined position used in the glide phase off starts and turns.

How to Do It:

• Push off the wall and complete a full pullout

• Glide until you start to slow, then surface and reset

✅ Strengthens core control and trains competitive starts and turn transitions.

4. Breaststroke Arms with Glide Focus

Purpose: Isolate upper body and glide without the kick.

How to Do It:

• Use pull buoy between legs

• Perform arm stroke and glide fully after each pull

• Emphasize elbow recovery and tight streamline

✅ Builds upper-body endurance and refines glide alignment.

5. Kick and Glide with Fins

Purpose: Add propulsion to extend the glide phase and teach body line control.

How to Do It:

• Wear short fins

• Perform one powerful breaststroke kick, then hold glide as long as possible

• Avoid fluttering or dragging legs

✅ Reinforces how to maintain speed and reduce drag through proper posture.

🧩 Drill Integration: Sample Set

Warm-Up:

200 easy swim (mix strokes)

4x50 breaststroke kick with board

Drill Set:

4x25 Glide & Kick Drill

4x25 3-Second Glide Drill

2x50 Pullout-Only Drill

4x25 Breaststroke Arms with Pull Buoy

2x50 Kick & Glide with Fins

Main Set:

4x100 breaststroke at moderate pace, focus on consistent glide length

Cool Down:

100 freestyle easy, long strokes

🧠 Pro Tips to Maximize Your Glide

• ✅ Keep your head in line with your spine — don’t look forward during the glide

• ✅ Squeeze your glutes and core to maintain tight body position

• ✅ Avoid breaking streamline too early — wait until your momentum slows

• ✅ Use underwater video to check for posture and glide duration

• ✅ Count your strokes per length — fewer strokes mean better glide and efficiency

🏁 Final Thoughts

Mastering the glide phase in breaststroke is one of the fastest ways to swim smarter and more efficiently. With the right drills and focus on body position, timing, and streamlining, you’ll extend your distance per stroke, conserve energy, and swim faster — all without working harder.