THE STROKES: Breaststroke
The breaststroke may be one of the most difficult strokes to master. It requires simultaneous movements of the arms on the same horizontal plane. The hands are pushed forward from the breast, on, under or over the surface of the water. This part of the stroke is called the recovery. The hands are then pulled out, back, and together during the propulsive phase of the stroke. The timing of the kick and the arm pulls is critical. The kick looks kind of like a "frog" kick, with both legs coming down and around in a simultaneous circular motion. In the breaststroke events, the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands at the same time at the turns and at the finish of the race. Failure to make the two-hand simultaneous touch in results in a DQ (disqualification) and commonly occurs when the swimmers are first learning the stroke. After the start and after each turn, the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the legs, and one leg kick while wholly submerged. The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke.