Becoming a Champion Swimmer: Breaststroke – Richard Quick

with Richard Quick,
former Auburn University Head Men’s and Women’s Swim Coach;
former Stanford University Head Women’s Swimming Coach,
12 NCAA Team Championships, 5X NCAA “Coach of the Year”Richard Quick’s key to swimming championship breaststroke is to swim a stroke that is “forward focused.” Utilizing younger swimmers as his demonstrators, Quick’s initial focus is that of establishing the proper balance and position of the body in the water, Quick thoroughly explains the full arm motion for the stroke. In addition, he shares drills and strategies that keep the pull in front of the shoulders and deliver a fast hand recover. His arm pull drills teach you to accelerate the body in a forward motion, rather than up and down. Quick then turns his attention to adding the kick to accelerate the body forward. He emphasizes positioning the knees to be in line with the body, rather than pulled up underneath the body–a common error with many breaststrokers. To assure a swimmer of achieving an efficient, rhythmical breaststroke, Quick reviews the full stroke emphasizing the proper timing of the pull, breath and kick. A segment detailing the breaststroke pull-out highlights a critical technique in becoming a champion breakstroker!

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