Breaststroke Length Check
Count strokes on the first and last length of a longer breaststroke swim – if the count rises a lot, the glide or kick is fading.
- Stages
- Swimming – Stage 10
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Skills
- Breaststroke, Stroke Efficiency, Endurance & Pace
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 9–99 years
- Group size
- 1–16 swimmers
- Time
- About 7 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Agree lane direction and leave a gap of a few seconds between swimmers.
What it develops
- Breaststroke technique held over distance
How to run it
- Swimmers swim 100 metres (or 4 widths) of steady breaststroke.
- They count strokes on the first and the last length (or width).
- Compare the counts: a rise of more than two strokes means the kick or glide is fading.
- Repeat with a focus on finishing every kick, aiming to keep the counts within two.
Teaching cues
- Every kick finished.
- Same glide every stroke.
- Steady, not slow.
Make it easier
- Compare the first and last width of a 4-width swim with rests.
Make it harder
- Hold the same count over 200 metres.
- Add a turn and pull-out on each wall.
Common faults
- Glide disappears as swimmers tire.
- Kicks shorten and narrow.
Corrections
- 'Feet together at the end of every kick.'
- 'Count one in your glide, every time.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Record each swimmer's first and last counts on a whiteboard at the end of the lane for the teacher to review.