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Oct. 14, 2025 - Open Turns

The start of a new season is the perfect time to focus on skills rather than training. At the top of the list are TURNS…and there are SEVEN turns that every swimmer needs to know. This week we focus on five of the seven turns – the open turns: (1) Fly to Fly, (2) Fly to Back, (3) Back to Breast (open version), (4) Breast to Breast and (5) Breast to Free. Monday All Strokes Drills (The Seven Competitive Turns) Here’s a quick overview of the seven turns that every competitive swimmer needs to know. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1927-all-strokes-the-seven-competitive-turns Tuesday James Guy: Butterfly Turn James Guy offers a master class in how to execute a Fly-to-Fly open turn. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2607-butterfly-turn Wednesday Shanteau (BONUS TURNS – Butterfly to Backstroke) For a closeup view of the Butterfly-to-Backstroke transition turn, we turn to US Olympian Eric Shanteau. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/743-bonus-turns-butterfly-to-backstroke Thursday Haufler Turns (Teaching Progressions for Back-to-Breast Turns –Open Turn) Here’s Steve Haufler’s 5-step teaching progression for the Back-to-Breast open turn. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/760-teaching-progressions-for-back-to-breast-turns-open-turn Friday Sarah Katsoulis: Breaststroke Turn Aussie Olympian Sarah Katsoulis demos how to place and use the hands for a flat-wall, Breast-to-Breast Turn https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1829-sarah-katsoulis-breaststroke-turn Saturday Turn Drill: Hot Hand Open Turn If you swim in the USA, where most pools have a gutter or “lip,” you should USE THE LIP. Here’s how to do it without climbing up and out of the pool! https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2187-turns-hot-hand-open-turn Sunday Sandeno & Vendt (Breast to Free Turn) Closing out the week with a silent clip of US Olympians Erik Vendt and Kaitlin Sandeno executing the breast-to-free transition turn. What catches our eye is how quickly they get one hand off the wall, and how low they keep the head during the turn. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/567-breaststroke-freestyle-transition App Update and Athlete Onboarding Glenn discussed the recent app update and emphasized the importance of athletes using the app for data entry rather than coaches. He mentioned conducting onboarding sessions for athletes, parents, and teams, and introduced a new data access system for age group parents, offering both basic and pro levels of data access. Glenn shared his pride in his wife Rachel's performance at her first dual meet, highlighting Northwestern's impressive results and pool records. He encouraged anyone with questions about the app to schedule a demo with him or Alex. Swimming Season and Technique Insights Glenn discussed the successful start of the swimming season and highlighted the positive atmosphere during a recent tri-meet, which included an unexpected feature in the New York Times. He then focused on teaching techniques for competitive swimming turns, emphasizing the importance of using gutters in U.S. pools and the advantages of proper technique. Glenn also shared insights from observing elite athletes like James Guy and Eric Chanteau, noting differences in their techniques despite similar coaching. He concluded by expressing his personal motivation to help people reach their potential and achieve happiness through swimming. Optimizing Swimming Techniques Glenn discussed techniques for swimming with minimal resistance, focusing on the importance of proper hand and foot placement, as well as the lack of resistance in Eric Chanteau's swimming style. He emphasized the significance of cutting a path with the knees and opening the feet at the last possible second to optimize performance. Glenn encouraged viewers to apply these techniques in their swimming or teaching practices to reach their full potential. Backstroke Turn Technique Training Session The meeting focused on teaching swimmers the back-to-breaststroke turn technique, emphasizing the importance of the ready position and practicing with both hands. The discussion covered different types of turns, including flat wall and gutter turns, with specific attention to hand positioning and leverage. The group watched videos of elite swimmers demonstrating proper technique, particularly highlighting the need for quick hand release off the wall to prevent slipping. The session concluded with a demonstration of a staggered hand turn by Brendan McHugh, an elite breaststroke swimmer, showcasing advanced techniques for experienced athletes. Swimming Techniques and Turn Improvements The group discussed swimming techniques, focusing on wall touches and turns. Helen and Glenn emphasized that simultaneous wall touches are illegal and difficult for officials to enforce, advising swimmers to simply tap the wall and move on. Barbara shared a video of Brendan executing a fast and low breaststroke turn, which Glenn praised for its speed and technique. The conversation concluded with a discussion about the evolution of swimming techniques in college and professional levels, noting the increased speed and efficiency of modern turns. Swimming Turns and Speed Techniques The discussion focused on swimming techniques, particularly turn approaches. Mark and Mike discussed how elite athletes maintain speed through turns rather than slowing down in anticipation, comparing it to a ball bouncing off a wall. Mike explained that teaching turns involves simple principles like changing direction quickly and making stroke adjustments before the turn, while Glenn shared an anecdote about Shemanovic being DQ'd due to his unusually fast turns. The conversation concluded with a discussion about the importance of dryland training, particularly core work, to help swimmers maintain speed and execute turns effectively. Swimming Turns: Research and Techniques The group discussed swimming techniques, focusing on spin turns and their superiority to traditional turns, as supported by research from Gary Hall Sr. They explored the mechanics of different turns, including breaststroke and butterfly, emphasizing the importance of teaching swimmers the difference between legal and optimal turns. Barbara suggested focusing on the crossover turn in the next session, while Beth shared insights from using a small 3-lane pool for WITs, highlighting the impact of timing and technique. The group agreed to plan content for the next meeting, considering topics like reverse butterfly or maintaining momentum into the wall.

September 9, 2025 - Breaststroke Shoulders

Breaststroke Shoulders Discussion The topic for the meeting was breaststroke shoulders, a subject Alex admitted he doesn't often focus on but found interesting to explore. He planned to share videos and discuss the role of shoulder action in the stroke. Breaststroke Technique and Positioning Aleks discussed Amanda's breaststroke technique, focusing on her shoulder shrug and hip engagement. He explained how Amanda's vertical body position and forward hip drive naturally result in an upward shoulder shrug. Aleks also covered the importance of hand recovery in breaststroke, noting that while Amanda brings her hands high out of the water, younger swimmers should keep their hands at the surface and drive them forward. He emphasized the need for a straight, flat recovery and warned about the risk of DQs with high arm positions. Finally, Aleks stressed the importance of maintaining a streamlined position to reduce drag and increase speed. Breaststroke Techniques and Drills Aleks discussed various breaststroke techniques and drills, emphasizing the importance of body position, hip drive, and hand recovery. He highlighted how maintaining a straight line from fingertips to toes and keeping the head down can improve stroke efficiency. Aleks also explained the benefits of keeping the elbows close to the body during the pull phase and snapping the hands forward quickly to facilitate a smooth recovery. He noted that sprint breaststroke requires a different approach compared to endurance breaststroke, but the fundamental principles remain the same. Effective Swimming Techniques Discussed Aleks shared a video of Brennan Hansen swimming and discussed the technique he demonstrated. He highlighted how Hansen's small profile in the water and his ability to create a cone of disruption showed effective cutting through the water. Aleks emphasized the importance of making a "bed" with the arms extended forward before laying the head down, which he said was a key part of the stroke technique. He praised Glenn for capturing unique angles of the swimmer that defy expectations. Breaststroke Pull Width Optimization Aleks discussed a breaststroke drill that demonstrates how swimmers can experiment with different pull widths to find the optimal balance between body drive and drag reduction. He explained that while some swimmers benefit from a wide pull, others may need to be more narrow, and emphasized the importance of finding the right position that allows for maximum hip movement and forward momentum. The drill involves gradually widening the pull while observing how the hips track forward and the body rises out of the water, ultimately helping swimmers achieve a more efficient stroke. Breaststroke Technique and Training Discussion Alex shared a story about a Russian swimmer who participated in a Zoominterview during the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing their experience transitioning from swimming in Russia to the United States. Barbara and Melinda discussed the role of elbows in breaststroke technique, with Barbara emphasizing the importance of bringing elbows in to create a good profile and Melinda noting that excessive elbow squeezing can cause shoulder pain. Alex suggested using drills like swimming with a noodle under the armpits and lying on a landline to prevent novices from pulling back too far. Paul Frentsos had a question about shrugging in breaststroke technique, but the transcript ended before he could ask it. Forward Swimming Techniques Discussion Paul and Aleks discussed swimming techniques, focusing on maintaining forward momentum and balance in the water. They agreed that teaching swimmers to keep their arms forward and avoid pulling their elbows too far back is crucial, especially for younger athletes. Aleks emphasized the importance of head position and using techniques like the tennis ball under the chin to help swimmers stay forward as they breathe. They also discussed how powerful kicks and pulls can help swimmers overcome the challenges of pulling too far back. Breaststroke Immersion Techniques The discussion focused on breaststroke technique, particularly regarding the optimal depth of immersion. Aleks explained that immersion depth is swimmer-dependent and varies by event, noting that 50 breaststrokers should be flatter on the surface while 200 breaststrokers need more depth. They emphasized that proper technique involves maintaining a forward hand recovery, avoiding hand drop, and keeping the head down, with the body naturally finding its appropriate depth based on these fundamentals. Breaststroke Technique Analysis and Insights The discussion focused on comparing breaststroke techniques between swimmers Kate Douglas and Lily King. Aleks shared insights about Lily's development from a tempo-driven 200 breaststroker to a more forward-oriented technique, while Paul observed Kate's adaptation from 200 to 100 breaststroke by adjusting her tempo and stroke rate. Karen noted that swimmers sometimes struggle with trusting a forward pull and powerful kick rather than relying on increased stroke rate, and mentioned a technique tip about forehead positioning in breaststroke. Breaststroke Technique and Training The discussion focused on breaststroke technique and training, with Aleks sharing their approach to teaching swimmers to minimize stroke counts, particularly aiming for 4-6 strokes for boys and girls respectively. They emphasized the importance of focusing on body drive and hip engagement rather than shoulder movement, citing Leon Marchand's efficient 2-stroke 25m split as an example of what can be achieved through consistent training. Robin contributed insights about the importance of maintaining the correct line in breaststroke, noting that getting just one inch under the water can reduce surface drag by 50%, while Paul inquired about tips for naturally faster breaststroke swimmers, to which Aleks recommended using a tempo trainer to analyze and improve stroke tempo. Swimming Tempo Trainer Techniques Alex Fansler discussed using tempo trainers to help swimmers understand and adjust their pace, particularly by making gradual changes in 25-second intervals. He emphasized the importance of translating tempo trainer exercises to actual swimming through stroke counting, which helps swimmers maintain their pace without the metronome. For next week's session, Barbara suggested focusing on what coaches should be concerned about as the new swim season begins, including fundamentals like streamlines, dolphin kicks, and pullouts.

Breaststroke Hands.

Jessica shares her thoughts on using her hands in breaststroke.

August 26, 2025 - How to Improve Breaststroke Distance Per Cycle

Breaststroke distance per cycle is all about the LINE. Body line. Streamline. Low Head. Straight arms. Pointed toes. Integrety at the beginning and end of each stroke. No churning… the LINE! Monday - August 25 Anton - Breaststroke Head Lifting the head and eyes for the breath, to better draw the hips and set up the kick. Getting the head tucked, and back in line for the extension forward. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2311-preview-breaststroke-head Tuesday - August 26 Breaststroke - Head - Felipe In this video, we give our impressions of Felipe’s stroke. This more free-flowing expression of specific aspects is what we learn from this amazing athlete. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2617-breaststroke-head Wednesday - August 27 Amanda Streamline! The key to moving fast in breaststroke is to create as little resistance as possible. I keep this in mind when I pull…when I kick…and especially when I glide between strokes. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/524-streamline Thursday - August 28 Roque - Body Position https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/491-body-position Friday - August 29 Pull Your Hips Forward When I think about my pull, I’m actually thinking about my hips. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/525-pull-your-hips-forward Saturday - August 30 Connect Hands, Head, and Hips Going to Air Brendan’s pull is all about timing… and the connection between the hands, head, and hips. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/238-connect-hands-head-and-hips-going-to-air Sunday - August 31 Breaststroke Kick - Roque https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/489-breaststroke-kick

Anton - Breaststroke Head.

Head position in breaststroke varies by athlete, but Anton shows purpose in his movement. Lifting the head and eyes for the breath, to better draw the hips and set up the kick. Getting the head tucked, and back in line for the extension forward. The two extremes performed with great purpose.

Breaststroke - Hips

Breaststroke - Head - Felipe

In this video, we give our impressions of Felipe’s stroke. This more free-flowing expression of specific aspects is what we learn from this amazing athlete. We’re going to be focusing on Felipe’s Head. 🐸 Breaststroke Head & Hip Connection 👀 Eyes guide the hips – Lifting the eyes slightly can help bring the hips forward to set up the kick. Eyes too far down = hips stay stuck, kick gets too big. 🔄 Try both – Practice with eyes down vs. eyes slightly forward to see how it affects hip movement. ⬆️➡️⬇️ Up, then back down fast – Lift eyes just enough to shift hips, but don’t hold them up. Drop the head back down quickly into streamline. 🥽 Perfect line – At full extension, the head should fit neatly between the arms, with goggles visible under the arms for a clean line. ✋ Hands first, head second – Don’t lead the stroke by lifting your head. Instead, let the pull begin first (hands out), then the head follows as the arms sweep in. 🧩 Everything connects – Hands pull in, head lifts slightly, hips drive forward, then head and hands shoot forward together into streamline 🚀. Bottom line: The head isn’t just along for the ride — 👀 eyes and head position control how the hips move, and when timed right, they make the breaststroke smoother, faster, and more powerful 💨.

Roque - Body Position

🐸 Breaststroke Streamline & Lunge Tips ✨ Streamline is 1 – After every kick, glide in streamline before starting your pull. If you rush, you lose speed. 👀 Eyes down – Keep your eyes looking at the bottom. Looking up makes your head lift and changes your stroke (even if it looks good for pictures 📸). 🙆 Body helps, not just arms – Use your chest and hips in the stroke. Chest goes down, hips pop up, then accelerate through the pull for more power 💥. 🐬 Think like butterfly – A slight body wave makes your pull stronger and smoother, not just arm-driven. 🏹 The famous lunge – After the pull, shoot forward with your head + hands together (like a cat pouncing 🐱). Forehead enters the water first, arms stay tight, and you dive into streamline again 🚀. 🌊 Ride the wave – At the top of your stroke, use your body to dive forward smoothly, not pause. This keeps you fast and reduces drag. Bottom line: Look down 👀, glide long ✨, use your body 💪, and lunge forward 🏹 into streamline 🚀. That’s what makes breaststroke powerful and beautiful.

Breaststroke Kick - Roque

🐸 Breaststroke Kick Tips ⬆️ Feet up, not out – Bring your feet straight up toward your bottom. Don’t let them swing out wide like parachutes 🎈🎈 (that slows you down). 👣 Toes together trick – Touch your toes when you pull them up. If your toes are touching, you know you’re in the right spot ✅. 🤫 Hide your legs – Keep your feet and calves tucked behind your thighs so they don’t catch extra water. Less splash = more speed 🚀. 🤸 Knees stay close – Keep your knees about shoulder-width apart. If they spread too far, your kick pushes water sideways ➡️⬅️ instead of straight back 🏊. ✨ Bottom line: Stay small, smooth, and straight — kick back, not out, and you’ll glide faster through the water 🌊.

Freestyle-Breaststroke - Give Me One!

After you watch the video, take a short quiz. This week's theme is the freestyle line. And there's a specific exercise that we do in here to work on that. And it's called Give me one, basically, what we do is we turn the water on, and the athlete is allowed to come up and take one stroke. And the goal is to stay in the same spot for as long as possible. So what you have to do is you have to rotate to your side, extend the arm, you're not allowed to kick, you're just supposed to hold that line until the water starts to push you back. Once you've done that enough, and you've done it to both sides, and you've had some good experience with it, then we graduate to give me two, which is basically right before you start to get pushed back, you take a second stroke, and you switch to the other side, we graduate that again, give me four into the point where there's no stopping of the line of the recovery happens immediately. And the swimmer continues to swim focusing on the line. Now usually this is done only to about eight to 10 strokes to really maximize the line. It's a slow stroke rate, really trying to get to your side and experience how to not create resistance. And so if you're doing this in a normal pool, sometimes it's good to do with a snorkel so that you can practice it more and more. And so you're just really, really, really trying to hold that line. And you know to experience as best line as possible, or the best line that you can get. And then carry that into your freestyle swimming. Now we'll also do this for breaststroke. So it's the same setup. And so I'll do that again for breaststroke as well. In that, the line and breaststroke and freestyle are so incredibly important that you want to make sure that you're doing it right. So let's give it a shot. So that's it, you're basically trying to strain the line strain technique, stress it so that you're trying to move, but you're limiting stroke rate so much to the point that you have to be very exacting on the line. Again, when you get back into regular swimming. Hopefully, you've practiced this enough that you carry some of that in with you and your stroke is better

July 8, 2025 - Breaststroke: Cobra and Pull the Hips Forward

Breaststroke: Cobra and Pull the Hips Forward This week we share some fun drills that will help you REALLY feel and understand the breaststroke concept of pulling the hips forward. Come join the discussion. Monday Davo Drills: Cobra Watch and you’ll see how this breaststroke drill gets its name: Cobra. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/189-cobra Tuesday Jessica Hardy: Stretch 17 Child’s Pose into Cobra Pose Olympian Jessica Hardy uses a basic yoga pose to prepare for fast breaststroke. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1097-stretch-17-child-s-pose-into-cobra-pose Wednesday Breast Drill: Radical Cobra “Radical” means over-teaching or over-exaggerating something to drive home the point! https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2211-breaststroke-radical-cobra Thursday Amanda Beard: Pull Your Hips Forward Pulling the hips forward is one of Amanda Beard’s most basic focus points for breaststroke. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/525-pull-your-hips-forward Friday Felipe Lima: Hips Felipe Lima is a Brazilian World Championship medalist. He excels at pulling the hips forward in breaststroke. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2618-breaststroke-hips Saturday Breast Drill: Under Lane This is one of the most fun drills ever, and has the added benefit of teaching you how to pull the hips forward on breaststroke. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1394-breaststroke-under-lane Sunday Breast Drill: Separation Drill Breaststroke Separation Drill teaches many things, including how to pull the hips forward. https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1391-breaststroke-separation-drill Breaststroke Teaching Techniques Glenn discussed his approach to teaching swimming, particularly breaststroke, to young swimmers. He emphasized the importance of proper technique, including length, extension, and surface tension. Glenn demonstrated the cobra drill to illustrate how to draw the hips forward and explained the concept of minimizing resistance while maximizing payback in breaststroke. He also highlighted the need to balance tuck and extension in teaching, depending on the individual swimmer's flexibility and strength. Swimming Drills and Technique Focus Glenn demonstrated various swimming drills and techniques, focusing on the importance of drawing the hips forward and squeezing the glutes. He emphasized the need to simplify instructions for younger swimmers and highlighted the "Fluke Drill" as a challenging but effective way to improve leg movement. Glenn also discussed the value of practicing on land to internalize the desired movements before applying them in the water, using yoga-like exercises to help swimmers feel the correct positions. Effective Teaching Progression Strategies Glenn discussed his teaching approach, emphasizing the importance of focusing on specific tasks and ensuring proper progression in skills development. He shared an example of a yoga exercise, clarifying the correct pose and the importance of attention to detail. Glenn also highlighted the challenge of trusting the progression in teaching and the need to build on previous steps effectively. Breaststroke Technique and Individualization Glenn discussed breaststroke technique, focusing on the importance of individualization in kick style and the role of hip draw in generating forward momentum. He analyzed videos of Olympic champions Amanda Beard and Felipe, highlighting how different athletes achieve success with varying kick techniques, and emphasized that the key is finding the right balance between resistance and payback for each swimmer. Breaststroke Hip Technique Drills Glenn discussed breaststroke technique, focusing on the role of the hips in the stroke. He explained that in breaststroke, the hips should stay relatively flat and draw forward rather than dropping down when the head comes up. Glenn demonstrated several drills to help swimmers focus on hip movement, including a lane line drill where the swimmer brushes their butt against the lane line to trigger hip draw. He also discussed the importance of relaxing the legs to allow for proper hip draw in the separation drill. Barbara agreed that focusing on hip movement is an effective way to teach breaststroke and suggested using breaststroke with a pull buoy as another drill to emphasize hip draw. Swimming Techniques and Training Improvements Glenn led a discussion on swimming techniques, focusing on breaststroke and muscle-ups. He shared videos and exercises to help children understand and improve their strokes. Paul suggested using muscle-ups to strengthen kicks and hand positions. Karen and Glenn discussed the benefits of coming up and forward in strokes. They agreed to explore mobility exercises and dry land training for each stroke. Glenn mentioned upcoming projects, including a podcast on talent and filming races to improve data analysis for age group swimmers.

Cobra!

Watch Staciana in slow motion and you’ll see how this drill gets its name – Cobra. The hips pull forward… then the body strikes. Hips forward…then attack. Start in a laid-out position. Press the chest in, which sends the arms out and the hips UP. As the insweep begins, draw the hips forward to set up for the next kick. Then kick and lay out to get ready for the next cycle. Press the arms out and the hips up. Then pull the hips forward. That’s the entire goal of the drill. Don’t worry about your arms or your head. Just pull the hips forward and land forward into the next cycle. Focus completely on drawing the hips forward. Start in a laid-out position. Then press…draw…kick.