Breaststroke - Sweep in to Air

This week's drill is really about a question: Â Do you go to air in breaststroke when the hands are sweeping out, or when the hands are sweeping in?

Why Do It:
While logically, most people know the answer, just sit around a pool full of age-group swimmers and see what they naturally do.

How to Do It:
1. Â Recognize what the swimmer naturally does, and then step through a series of drills that ask the swimmer to keep the head down as the hands press out, and allow the head to come up as the hands start to come together.
2.  Be patient, and continue to work toward keeping the head down on the outsweep.
3.  As you incorporate a stroke, pay particular attention to what the swimmer does when it's time to breathe.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):
The goal is to initiate the head traveling up to air later in the pull process. Â The head shouldn't start up as soon as the hands come apart, so do your best to encourage the swimmer to delay the lift of the head until a bit later in the pull process.

As a coach, sit back and watch your team to determine who goes to air when the hands are going out, and who goes to air when the hands are going in.