Capitol University PATHFit 3 (Basic Swimming) Week 15 PDF

**Capitol University** **Cagayan de Oro City** **COLLEGE OF MARITIME EDUCATION** **Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation** **PATHFit 3 (Basic Swimming)** **WEEK 15** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **TOPIC : Advanced Breas...

**Capitol University** **Cagayan de Oro City** **COLLEGE OF MARITIME EDUCATION** **Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation** **PATHFit 3 (Basic Swimming)** **WEEK 15** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **TOPIC : Advanced Breaststroke | | | Techniques (Refining breaststroke | | | form and technique, Drills for | | | improving efficiency, Practicing | | | endurance with breaststroke)** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | STCW Competence | N/A | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | KUP | N/A | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Course Outcomes | CO1: Students will confidently | | | demonstrate essential swimming | | | skills, including floating, | | | treading water, and executing | | | basic strokes such as freestyle, | | | backstroke, and breaststroke. | | | They will understand water safety | | | principles and exhibit improved | | | endurance and coordination in the | | | water. Participants will be | | | capable of swimming short | | | distances independently with | | | proper form, providing a solid | | | foundation for more advanced | | | swimming techniques. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Learning Outcomes | **LO1.13. Modify and refine | | | advanced breaststroke | | | techniques.** | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Learning Activities | 1. **LA:** The students will | | | engage and participate in | | | discussion and activities. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **\ INTRODUCTION** ### ### **Advanced Breaststroke Techniques** Breaststroke, one of the oldest and most technically demanding swimming strokes, combines timing, rhythm, power, and precision. Unlike other strokes, the arms and legs move symmetrically in breaststroke, and mastering its efficiency requires a deep understanding of body position, stroke mechanics, and propulsion. Refining the form, using targeted drills, and practicing endurance are essential for improving performance in breaststroke. **1. Refining Breaststroke Form and Technique** Achieving an efficient breaststroke requires focusing on several key components: body position, the pull, the kick, and the timing between the two. Here are the critical points to refine each part: **a. Body Position and Streamline** - **Horizontal Alignment**: One of the biggest challenges in breaststroke is maintaining a streamlined body position between strokes. The body should remain horizontal, minimizing drag. Proper streamline begins with a narrow glide after each stroke, with arms extended forward and the body as flat as possible in the water. - **Head Position**: The head should stay in line with the spine, with the face slightly angled downward to look toward the bottom of the pool, rather than forward. Lifting the head too high can disrupt the horizontal alignment, increase drag, and reduce speed. - **Core Engagement**: Tighten the core muscles to support the body's position in the water. This helps prevent excess movement and ensures the legs and arms move efficiently. **b. The Pull (Arm Action)** - **Catch Phase**: The hands start together in front of the body, slightly below the surface. The swimmer begins the stroke by pressing outward in a \"Y\" shape, engaging the lats and chest muscles. It's essential to focus on catching water with the forearms and hands to generate forward propulsion. - **Sweep Inward**: After the outward press, the hands sweep inward under the chest. The elbows should remain high, leading the inward sweep and setting up for the glide. Avoid excessive downward movement of the hands, as this can waste energy. - **Recovery**: The hands recover forward just below the surface, returning to the streamline position with minimal resistance from the water. **c. The Kick (Leg Action)** - **Efficient Whip Kick**: The power of the breaststroke comes from the whip-like motion of the legs. After the glide phase, the heels should quickly recover toward the buttocks, keeping the knees relatively narrow to reduce drag. The feet should be flexed, with toes pointed outward during the kick. - **Ankle Flexibility**: Greater ankle flexibility allows the swimmer to create a stronger, wider kick, which results in more propulsion. Practice stretching and improving ankle mobility to maximize efficiency. - **Snap and Glide**: The legs should kick outward and backward, not downward. The key is to perform the kick rapidly and allow the body to glide through the water. Swimmers often overemphasize the kick, causing them to miss out on the efficiency of the glide phase. **d. Timing** - **Synchronization**: The pull, breath, and kick should be perfectly synchronized to reduce resistance and maximize momentum. After the hands complete the pull and the head rises for a breath, the kick should occur as the arms extend forward. This \"pull-breath-kick-glide\" sequence is fundamental for reducing drag and maintaining speed. - **Breath Timing**: Breathing should occur during the arm pull, but the head should remain low, just high enough to clear the water and take a breath without lifting the entire upper body out of the water, which would cause drag. **2. Drills for Improving Efficiency** Incorporating specific drills into practice sessions can help swimmers improve technique, streamline, and overall efficiency. Here are some advanced breaststroke drills: **a. 2 Kicks, 1 Pull Drill** - This drill focuses on improving the glide and kick timing. After one pull and breath, the swimmer performs two kicks (without taking an extra pull) before returning to the streamline position. It helps swimmers concentrate on getting a more efficient whip from each kick and making the most of the glide. **b. Breaststroke with Dolphin Kick Drill** - By replacing the breaststroke kick with a dolphin kick, this drill enhances core engagement and body undulation, which is important for improving the flow and rhythm of the stroke. It also helps swimmers feel how the body should rise and fall in the water, mimicking the natural wave-like motion of efficient breaststroke. **c. Breaststroke Arms with Freestyle Kick Drill** - This drill allows swimmers to focus solely on their arm technique and breathing while maintaining a steady flutter kick (freestyle kick) for propulsion. It builds endurance and allows swimmers to refine their pulling motion, hand positioning, and timing. **d. Single-Arm Breaststroke Drill** - In this drill, swimmers use only one arm while keeping the other extended in front. This is done to focus on hand movement, the catch, and how to properly engage the shoulder muscles during the stroke. Alternate arms every 25 meters. The kick remains the same. **e. Wall Kick Drill** - The swimmer holds the pool wall or lane rope with arms extended while performing breaststroke kicks. This drill allows swimmers to focus on the mechanics of the whip kick, ensuring their heels are coming up high and the feet are properly flexed. It\'s perfect for honing kick mechanics without worrying about **3. Practicing Endurance with Breaststroke** Endurance is crucial in competitive breaststroke, especially for longer distances such as 200m races or for swimmers who need to maintain form under fatigue. Training endurance for breaststroke requires not only building aerobic capacity but also ensuring that technique remains strong as fatigue sets in. **a. Interval Training** - **Breaststroke Sets**: Incorporating interval sets (e.g., 10 x 100m breaststroke on 2:00) challenges the swimmer to maintain form while pushing their cardiovascular system. Adjust the distance and rest time to suit fitness levels. - **Descending Sets**: A descending set requires swimmers to progressively increase their speed while reducing rest. For example, swim 5 x 100m breaststroke with the goal of each 100m being faster than the previous one. This builds speed endurance while keeping technique sharp under pressure. **b. Long-Distance Repeats** - To develop endurance, include long-distance sets such as 400m or 800m breaststroke repeats at a steady pace. These swims allow for the development of aerobic capacity while focusing on maintaining stroke rhythm and form over an extended period. **c. Mixed-Stroke Endurance Sets** - Mix breaststroke with other strokes in longer sets (e.g., 200m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 200m backstroke, 100m breaststroke) to build endurance without overloading the specific muscles used in breaststroke. This not only builds general swimming endurance but also keeps practice interesting. **d. Hypoxic Training** - Limiting the number of breaths taken during breaststroke training can improve lung capacity and help swimmers learn to maintain proper stroke mechanics even when fatigued. Start by reducing the breaths on shorter intervals (e.g., breathe every two strokes), and gradually increase the distance. **Conclusion** Breaststroke is a stroke where small refinements in form and technique can yield significant gains in efficiency and speed. By focusing on refining body position, perfecting the pull and kick, and using advanced drills, swimmers can drastically improve their stroke mechanics. To complement technique work, endurance training ensures swimmers can maintain speed and efficiency over longer distances. Integrating these elements into a comprehensive training plan will help swimmers develop a powerful, smooth, and effective breaststroke. **Supplementary Videos to Enhance Learning** ------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Advanced Breastroke Technique ------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- **Assessment Tasks** **Formative Assessment 1.13: At the end of the learning activities, the student should be able to answer the final quiz no.3 about advanced breaststroke techniques by answering multiple choice questionnaires.** **References**