Water Noodle-Aided Breaststroke without Breathing
Coordination is a very important aspect for breaststroke. The Water Noodle-Aided Breaststroke without Breathing is one of the arm and leg drills that will help you master coordination. You will need a water noodle ready for this drill.
- Place the water noodle across your chest and under the armpits.
- Go the shallow portion of the pool and get yourself into the initial glide position.
- Push yourself off from the wall making sure that your body is in a horizontal position.
- Extend your arms forward with your hands close together while your legs are extended close together and your toes are pointed.
- The head should be aligned with the trunk and your face should be in the water. Your head will be in the water for the entire stroke cycle.
- Start the arm stroke for the drill with the outsweep followed by a catch and insweep.
- You may start leg recovery towards the buttocks at the end of the arms’ insweep.
- Catch and sweep out your legs during the arms’ forward recovery.
- The legs should continuously sweep out. The legs should sweep in while the arms is extended forward.
- Observe a short glide phase in the streamline position at the end of the kick. Both arms and legs should be extended and kept together.
You can also try the drill with breathing.
- Perform the same instructions for the drill without breathing but when you start to sweep your arms in, let your hips drop then let your shoulders and head rise above the water surface.
- Inhale when your mouth clears the water.
- Maintain your head’s alignment with your trunk then look downwards and slightly forward.
- Let your head and shoulders fall back into the water when doing the arm recovery forward then exhale as soon as your head is in the water again.