Swimming
Breaststroke Two Kicks, One Pull Drill
The breaststroke two kicks, one pull drill pairs one arm stroke with two kicks. It develops kick timing, body alignment, and control of the glide between strokes.
- Intermediate
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Push off the wall near the surface with your arms extended overhead.
- Sweep your hands outward slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Draw your hands inward beneath your chin with your elbows bent.
- Reach your arms forward into a narrow, fully extended position.
- Bring your heels toward your buttocks with your toes turned outward.
- Whip your feet backward and together to finish with straight legs.
- Repeat the kick after a brief glide, keeping your arms extended throughout.
- Glide with your body straight before starting the next pull.
Form cues
- Inhale during the pull; exhale gently underwater.
- Keep your hips near the surface.
- Look down between breaths.
Common mistakes
- Pulling during the second kickWait until your feet finish closing on the second kick before moving your hands outward.
- Drawing knees toward the chestRecover your heels with only a small bend at the hips to avoid braking your forward motion.
- Pulling hands past the shouldersKeep the pull compact, with your hands in front of your shoulders rather than sweeping toward your hips.
Safety
Forceful or excessively wide whip kicks can strain your knees or groin. Fatigue and extended glides between breaths can cause breathing distress and increase drowning risk.
- Use a lifeguarded pool with a clear lane and follow its swimming direction.
- Begin with gentle kicks through a comfortable range before increasing effort.
- Keep glides short enough to breathe comfortably on every pull.
- Stop at the wall if pain, breathlessness, or loss of coordination develops.
If breaststroke kicking causes knee or groin pain, or shoulder limitations make the extended-arm position painful, get advice from a physiotherapist before using this drill.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Pool Lane Line (optional)
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 4–6
- Target
- 25–50 meters
- Rest
- 45 sec
Start with 25-meter lengths at an easy pace; use your time to track consistency rather than speed.