Swim tracking guide
How to track breaststroke PBs
Breaststroke rewards timing over raw power, and it has the most precise rules of any stroke. That makes it the most satisfying to get right and the most common to be disqualified in while learning.
Direct answer
Track breaststroke PBs across 50m, 100m and 200m, separated by distance and course. Breaststroke has strict rules on the pull-out, the kick and the two-hand touch, so a good record also notes disqualifications, since technique progress is part of getting faster.
Why breaststroke is the technical stroke
Breaststroke has detailed rules: a symmetrical, simultaneous arm and leg action, a legal pull-out at the start and each turn, and a two-hand touch at the walls and finish. Each is easy to get slightly wrong.
This is why breaststroke sees more disqualifications than freestyle or backstroke, especially with younger swimmers. A DQ here usually points to one specific technical detail rather than a lack of speed.
The pull-out and the touch
The pull-out, one arm pull and one dolphin kick within the rules before the first breaststroke kick, is where strong breaststroke races are often built. Small gains there carry through the race.
The two-hand simultaneous touch at every wall is a frequent source of DQs. Tracking which turns or finishes caused a problem helps turn a DQ into a clear training focus.
Track times and technique together
Keep a PB per distance and course as usual, but also note DQs with their reason where you know it. A disqualified swim is not a time, but the pattern of DQs is useful information.
Stroke rate against glide is the other breaststroke story. A swimmer learning to hold a longer, more efficient stroke may see times improve even when the stroke looks slower.
Keeping an honest breaststroke record
PB Pathway records legal breaststroke times as PBs per distance and course, and a disqualified swim simply does not become a PB. You can keep a note explaining a DQ so the history makes sense.
Seeing legal PBs and DQ notes side by side shows the real progress: faster times and fewer technical errors over a season.
FAQ
Why is breaststroke disqualified so often?
It has precise rules on the pull-out, the symmetrical kick and the two-hand touch, which are easy to get slightly wrong, especially while learning.
What breaststroke events should I track?
The 50m, 100m and 200m, each separated by distance and course.
Should I record breaststroke DQs?
Not as times, since a DQ is not a legal swim. A note with the reason is useful, because the pattern of DQs points to what to work on.
What is the pull-out?
The one arm pull and one dolphin kick allowed within the rules before the first breaststroke kick at the start and each turn. It is often where strong races are built.
How does PB Pathway handle breaststroke DQs?
Legal times become PBs per distance and course, while a disqualified swim does not. You can keep a note explaining the DQ so the history is clear.
Related resources
DQ, DNS and DNF in swimming explained
What DQ, DNS and DNF mean on a swimming result sheet, the common reasons for a disqualification by stroke, and how to handle them in a progress record.
How to track individual medley PBs
How to track individual medley PBs, why per-stroke splits reveal strengths and weaknesses, and how the IM brings all four strokes into one event.
What is short course swimming? Short course vs long course times
Understand short course swimming, long course swimming, 25m pools, 50m pools and why short course and long course PBs should be tracked separately.
Swimming PBs: how to track PB times
A practical guide to swimming PBs, PB swim times, personal bests, course type and swim progress tracking without spreadsheets.
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