| THE
STROKES: Breaststroke
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| 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.
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