THE TURN

Although flip turns are not permitted in breaststroke, the breaststroke turn is very important in competition. A good breaststroker can travel ten yards or more on each turn before taking her first stroke. In a twenty-five-yard pool, that amounts to almost half the distance of the race, so it is essential to learn to do the turn correctly. The sequence of drawings in Figure 9.9 illustrates the phases of the breaststroke turn.

Try to time your turn so that you approach the wall during the recovery phase of your stroke. Your body is stretched out in a streamlined position, your head is low in the water, and your eyes are fixed on the wall. Then, while your body remains horizontal, touch the wall simultaneously with both hands. This is very important in a race. If you dip your shoulder before touching the wall, or if you touch with one hand before the other, you will be disqualified.

As soon as you touch the wall, drop your lead arm. You will probably find you are more comfortable dropping the same arm for all your turns; I always drop my right. As you tilt your upper body away from the wall, your momentum carries your feet to the wall, preparing them for the push off.

Plant your feet sideways on the wall, and take a deep breath. Throughout the change in direction, keep your body low in the water, your head just above the surface. Many novices try to lift their bodies well out of the water, an entirely wasted motion.

With your body still tilted, release contact with your arm and submerge your head. Push hard off the wall, and immediately extend your body into a streamlined position. Your head should be slightly lower than your feet.

Breaststroke rules permit a swimmer to take one complete pull and kick underwater after the start of a race and after each turn. Because the breaststroke is faster under the water than on top, you should master the technique of the pull out, the last phase of the breaststroke turn.

After you have pushed off the wall, turn your palms outward and glide until you feel on the verge of slowing down. Then pull your arms down to your thighs, using a keyhole pattern, and you will surge forward.

Glide again until you feel yourself about to lose momentum. Then, as you simultaneously kick hard and bring your arms forward in a streamlined position, point your body toward the surface. As your head breaks the surface, you are ready to take your first stroke.

The timing of the pull-out phase of the breaststroke turn takes practice. Although I have been swimming the stroke for over thirty-five years, I still count to myself on every turn. It goes like this:

PUSH OFF “One, two, three …”

PULL DOWN “One, two, three …”

KICK. SURFACE.

If you do the turn properly, you should be underwater for about four to six seconds. Because you are swimming hard between turns, you will need to be able to hold your breath that long without going into oxygen debt, especially at the end of a 200-yard race. The best way to build your lung capacity is to practice the breaststroke turn properly every time you swim. During practice, you may find yourself tempted to cut the pull out short. Resist! In the long run, you will find that doing proper breaststroke turns will enhance your lung capacity well beyond what you thought possible.