Breathing mistakes in breaststroke

The most common mistakes include: breathing too early, coming to the surface at too steep an angle to breathe, and keeping the head above the water during the kick.

1. The most frequent mistake among breaststrokers is breathing too early. They breathe during the outsweep of the armstroke, which reduces streamlining during a phase of the armstroke where swimmers are already decelerating. Breathing at this time will also cause swimmers to push the arms down during the outsweep to provide support for the head. Swimmers should breathe at the end of the insweep. The head and shoulders will be at their highest point, so this is the ideal time to take a breath.
2. Another mistake is coming to the surface at too steep an angle when they breathe. Swimmers push the head up and back and arch the back to get them high out of the water. This will decelerate forward speed. They should bring the head and shoulders to the surface on a gradual diagonal so that the body is moving forward as well as upward when they breathe.
3. Some breaststrokers swimmers keep the head above the water as they kick the legs back. The rules permit swimmers to put the head underwater during much of the stroke cycle. Swimmers should take advantage of this opportunity for streamlining and put the head underwater in line with the arms during the kick. Swimmers who use this technique must not bury the head below the arms, however, nor should they dive down excessively to submerge the head.