Breath Up, Head Down
Times the breaststroke breath: the head rises as the hands sweep in and returns between the arms before the kick drives.
- Stages
- Swimming – Stage 9
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Aquatic Breathing, Breaststroke, Breaststroke Timing
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 8–99 years
- Group size
- 2–16 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Swimmers rest at the wall whenever needed.
What it develops
- Breaststroke: compact pull and well-timed breath
How to run it
- Swim slow breaststroke focusing on the head: up with the in-sweep, down as the hands shoot forward.
- Partner watches: does the head return before the feet kick back?
- Try one width with the head up too long, then one with correct timing, and compare.
- Swim a final width aiming for a smooth, low breath.
Teaching cues
- Breathe as your hands come in.
- Head back down as your arms go forward.
- Kick into a streamline.
Make it easier
- Practise standing: hands sweep in – lift chin; hands forward – face in.
Make it harder
- Keep the chin close to the water so only the mouth clears.
- Hold the timing at a slightly quicker stroke rate.
Common faults
- Head stays up through the kick and glide.
- Breathing during the kick.
- Lifting the shoulders very high.
Corrections
- 'Look forward and down, not at the far wall.'
- 'Breath in, head down, then kick.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Watch from the side and use a thumbs-up or flat hand to show each swimmer whether the head was down before the kick, as agreed with the teacher.