Breaststroke Timing Calls
Teacher calls 'pull – kick – glide' as swimmers swim, then fades the calls so swimmers keep the rhythm themselves.
- Stages
- Swimming – Stage 8
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Breaststroke, Breaststroke Timing
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 8–99 years
- Group size
- 2–20 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Keep swimmers in widths with space between so they can hear calls without crowding.
What it develops
- Breaststroke: symmetrical kick with a controlled glide
How to run it
- Swimmers swim breaststroke slowly across the width.
- The teacher calls 'Pull… kick… glide' at a slow tempo; swimmers match it.
- On the next width the teacher calls only 'glide'; on the third width there are no calls.
- Swimmers say whether their glide was 'too short', 'just right' or 'too long'.
Teaching cues
- Arms first, then legs.
- Arms in front before the kick finishes.
- Glide – then go again.
Make it easier
- Separate it: pull, then pause, then kick, then glide.
Make it harder
- Swimmers call out the rhythm for a partner instead.
- Increase tempo slightly while keeping the order.
Common faults
- Kick and pull happen together.
- No glide at all.
Corrections
- 'Hands go first – legs wait their turn.'
- 'Count one in the glide.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand on the opposite side of the pool and repeat the teacher's calls so swimmers at both ends hear the same rhythm.