lunge in breaststroke

Question
Hello Ron

When lunging (recover) in modern breaststroke, do you
a) just lunge forward or
b) sort of dive downwards ie your hands will be quite below the surface afterward.

Thanks.

James

Answer
You lunge forward. The lunge is with the upper body and takes quite a bit of core strength to do it at a high skill level. The hands and arms stay near the surface so that you minimize the drag.

The ideal position after the lunge is to have your body be parallel with the surface of the water.

Another tip is to squeeze your shoulders and elbows forward,up and together to initiate the arm recovery. Again, this presents a very streamlined position in the water.

Have fun!