Triathlon Swim: Freestyle or Breast Stroke?

My swim, is not the strongest,my breast stroke, is much stronger, than my crawl. Has anyone, done the breast stoke the complete swim ?

Anonymous from Nebraska

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi there,
Thank you for contacting TriathaNewbie.com!

People do all sorts of strokes, some known to man and others known to only them. We feel that it's our job to encourage our readers to learn to swim proper freestyle not just because it will get you from point A to point B the quickest, but because it's safe and the standard within the sport.

That said, breaststroke is a recognized swim stroke and, if you can do it with the most ease, then go for it! There is one draw-back to doing breaststroke however. It's not a "group-friendly stroke at all. Your neighbors, who will be in very close proximity to you (individual pool lanes do not apply), will not like you very much because you will be kicking them left and right.

We've added a link to Terry Laughlin's Total Immerson and hope you have a chance to check it out. In a nutshell, he teaches how to swim the longest distances with the least amount of effort!!! There's a book and DVD. On a side note, I have personally used it (as a triathlete and swim coach) and have only great things to say about it. It's fantastic for a new swimmer and fantastic for a seasoned swimmer.

• Triathlon Swimming Made Easy: The Total Immersion Way for Anyone to Master Open-Water Swimming

Another thing you can do is to track down a swim coach in your area. Offer to pay him to watch and correct your stroke. It may take one session; it might take four or five. Sometimes just a little bit of advice from a professional, who is watching you from the deck, is all you need to become a more technically proficient, effortless swimmer.

Be well,
Jack

Jack Shaw
TriathaNewbie.com

	TriathaNewbie.com Recommended Resources: