Kicking and squeezing the legs backward is wrong! Women clearly define the path to improving their breaststroke technique.

•5 min read
Kicking and squeezing the legs backward is wrong! Women clearly define the path to improving their breaststroke technique.
Breaststroke is widely recognized as one of the swimming styles that are easy to learn but challenging to master. Broadly speaking, breaststroke can be divided into two distinct styles: the flat breaststroke and the wave breaststroke, each requiring slightly different technical nuances in terms of coordinated movements. This distinction mirrors the approach swimmers take in freestyle—where, depending on the race distance, they either prioritize efficiency per stroke or focus more on sheer speed. However, speed and efficiency aren’t the same thing. In short-distance swimming, the key is to maximize physical performance within the shortest possible time, pushing speed to its absolute limit. The trade-offs involved in accelerating—such as increased energy expenditure—aren’t enough to justify scaling back training intensity. On the other hand, middle- and long-distance swimming demands a focus on efficiency, striking the right balance between conserving energy and optimizing propulsion through the water. This ensures that swimmers maintain sufficient stamina to deliver a powerful final sprint when it matters most.

Roughly speaking, the front crawl isn’t as fast as the breaststroke, but it’s easier to maintain. Meanwhile, the breaststroke’s speed advantage comes at the cost of rapidly depleting stamina—seemingly, you can’t have both fish and bear's paw.
Generally speaking, improving swimming technique first involves reducing water resistance, with enhancements in stroke efficiency coming second. For example, the current key guideline for freestyle—keeping the head stable and eyes focused downward toward the pool floor—wasn't part of traditional swimming practices. In particular, the requirement to look down at the bottom of the pool wouldn’t have been considered essential without the invention of goggles.
Following this line of thinking, improvements in the breaststroke technique are clearly traceable—there’s no need to get stuck on the distinction between "flat frog" and "wave frog." Just as Feng Qingyang, who taught Linghu Chong the Nine Swords of the Lone Sword Sect, had long since transcended the rigid divide between the Sword and Qi Schools in his own mind, broadening one’s approach always hinges on breaking free from conventional mental constraints.
Now, back to the main topic—sharing my insights and experiences on refining the details of the breaststroke technique.

1. The large frog kick can be changed to a small kick.
For the breaststroke, widening the outward sweep of the arms and executing a powerful water catch will help lift the upper body higher, making it easier to breathe—and also improving the rhythm of the arm stroke, which in turn boosts sprint speed. However, for swimmers with less strength, especially female swimmers, a wider outward sweep combined with a forceful water catch may become an unnecessary burden. In such cases, as long as breathing remains smooth, opting for smaller, more efficient arm strokes—rather than larger ones—can be the better choice.
In short, the outward sweep of the frog kick doesn’t need to be too wide—just enough to lift your head out of the water for a quick breath. When pulling the arms inward during the recovery phase, avoid letting your elbows move noticeably backward, and don’t worry about keeping your shoulders relaxed; instead, simply apply a bit of pressure to bring your elbows together before swiftly extending them forward again.
2. The Overlooked Hip-Stabilization Awareness in Breaststroke
Hip stability is key to improving breaststroke technique—when swimming breaststroke, maintaining a consistent distance between your hips and the water surface indicates that you’ve already mastered this stroke at a fairly advanced level. Beginners often focus on fully pulling their legs back during the recovery phase, as this generates greater power for the subsequent kick and push. While this approach is correct, the leg-recovery motion actually creates the most significant forward resistance against the water during the entire breaststroke cycle.
We’ve previously discussed how improving swimming technique hinges primarily on reducing drag, with enhancing strength and skill coming second. That’s why fully pulling your legs back isn’t ideal—instead, slightly curtailing the frog kick’s leg movement may reduce power output, but it also significantly lowers frontal water resistance. When using your arms to pull your body forward during the inward sweep of the stroke, avoid retracting your legs; instead, wait until just before the pull is nearly complete to bring them in. This controlled reduction in leg movement helps maintain a stable hip position, giving you better control throughout the stroke.

3. Kicking and clamping the frog's legs backward is incorrect.
When first learning the frog kick, many people mistakenly believe that pushing the water backward with the soles of their feet is what propels the body forward. As a result, they naturally assume that the more directly they push the water—with their feet pointing straight back—the stronger the thrust will be—seemingly following basic physics principles. But that’s not quite right. In fact, the water about 20 centimeters beneath the surface is noticeably "thicker" and more resistant, making it the ideal medium for generating effective propulsion. That’s why the correct technique involves kicking downward, not backward. Kicking at an angle of roughly 20 degrees downward produces significantly better results than kicking horizontally backward, as it maximizes the interaction between the foot and the water. Think about it this way: when you push against a sponge versus a solid wall, which surface provides greater resistance? The answer is obvious—so too should your awareness guide your frog kick. Instead of focusing solely on pushing backward, consciously direct your kicks downward for optimal power and efficiency.
Once this improved frog kick technique is mastered, you may discover an even better approach: After pushing downward and squeezing your legs together, your hips will naturally rise higher. By consciously focusing on lifting your hips—and combining this with a smooth, compact arm stroke—the overall speed of your breaststroke can improve dramatically. The resulting swimming posture will strike a balance between the traditional flat breaststroke and the more undulating "wave" style. If you’d like to share your thoughts or experiences, feel free to leave a comment and join the conversation!

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