Breaststroke continued with Land Exercises and Water Drills
LEGS:
When you Slam Hips forward, let the knees bend and the heels will follow along the surface of the water towards the hips. Keep the angle from the shoulders to the knees as open as possible. A common mistake is to try to lift the body by arching the back, drawing the knees forward under the hips, and closing the angle. This is like putting on the brakes.
Land Exercises:
Breathing and The Line-This is a drill to overstress the muscle tissue needed for water posture. Lay prone up on the elbows (end of the Inward Sweep position). Then lift ribs up and in, bend the knees, bring the heels up and out (Breathing position). Slide the arms forward, bring the legs back and together (The Line).
Wall Drills:
Kick Development- Face the wall, and hook the elbows into the gutters. The forehead, chest, and hips should be against the wall. Let the legs hang loosely about 3-4 inches apart. Recover the heels towards the hips, keeping the hips Pressed into the wall. First practice Recovering the heels up and then bring them back down, don’t kick! When swimmers can do this without moving the hips, have them kick it! Great drill to learn muscle tissue memory for kicking!