Mega Drills for Breaststroke

with Coley Stickels, 14x NCAA All American with University of Arizona;
has coached National Age Group record holders and Olympic Trials finalists

Coley Stickels presents 27 drills and variations that focus on hand speed, proper body position and timing of the stroke.

Competitive swimmers from low through high-level swimmers whose breaststroke needs training or merely `tweaking' will find a number of drills tailor-made to fit every swimmer in their program. Stickels' main focus points include:

• Having quick heels on kick
• Keeping hips high
• Looking for an exposed lower back as hands come forward
• Moving hands forward quickly
• Keeping body low over water (45-degree angle)

Included in Stickles' breaststroke drill library are drills that are totally unique along with several modified versions of drills that coaches and swimmers will already be familiar with. Stickels explains every drill very clearly; pointing out the purpose of the drill, while identifying common mistakes swimmers make. Stickels points out very subtle corrections that each of his demonstrators could make, leading to increased understanding for viewers of every level. His instruction is centered around the following key concepts for successful breaststroke:

Quick heels and high hips on kick
This drill area will train your swimmers to coil and uncoil as quickly as possible, snapping the feet together and pointing the toes at the end of the kick. Nearly all world-class breaststrokers finish their kick with high hips.

Exposed lower back to surface with quick hands coming forward
In this section, Coley teaches drills to initiate this is by pulling the belly in towards the spine, getting the hands out in front as quickly as possible and getting the head looking down. Getting the hands back in front and into the catch phase eliminates a dead zone spot in the stroke.

Proper body position
You'll get drills that will train your swimmers to be in a 45-degree relation to the surface of the water allows for a quicker hand speed and quicker hip action in the stroke.

Coley has a unique way of simplifying one of the most difficult swimming strokes. He breaks the stroke down into small pieces so the athlete can focus on specific segments of the stroke while providing the athlete with different feels of the water. The use of equipment and having the drills done at different speeds reemphasizes the need for proper body position and hand speed.

54 minutes (plus 17 minutes of Individual Medley technique). 2013.