Frog-Style Swimming: 5 Tips to Improve It, and Its Benefits
Many adults in Singapore swim "frog style": a breaststroke with the head held up and a wide, frog-like kick. It gets you across the pool, but a few changes make it easier, faster and kinder to your neck and back.
What is frog-style swimming?
"Frog style" is the everyday name for breaststroke, especially the relaxed version many people taught themselves: the head stays above the water the whole time, the arms make small circles in front, and the legs kick out wide like a frog's. It differs from breaststroke as coached today, in which the face goes into the water on each stroke and the kick is narrower. Our guide to what is breaststroke explains the coached version in detail.
Benefits of frog style
- You can see where you are going. With your head up you can watch other swimmers, children in the pool and the wall ahead.
- Breathing feels easy. Your mouth stays clear of the water, which suits people who are nervous about putting their face in.
- It is steady and sustainable. At an easy pace you can keep going for a long time, which makes it useful for relaxed exercise.
- It works many muscles. The chest, shoulders, inner thighs and glutes all work, and it is a good aerobic workout.
- It is a practical safety stroke. Being able to swim calmly with your head up and see around you is useful in any water.
The drawbacks
Holding your head up all the time tips your body at an angle: your hips and legs sink, so you push more water and tire faster. It can also strain the neck and lower back, especially over long swims. A very wide kick creates drag, and some people find it uncomfortable for the inside of the knee. The tips below address each of these.
5 tips to improve your frog style
1. Put your face in on each stroke
The biggest improvement is to lower your face into the water after each breath and breathe out slowly while it is in. Your body becomes flatter, your hips rise and your neck relaxes. If this feels uncomfortable, practise blowing bubbles at the wall first, and start with one stroke face-in, one stroke head-up.
2. Narrow your kick
Keep your knees about hip-width apart and draw your heels up towards your bottom, rather than pushing your knees out to the sides. Turn your feet outwards and push back with the insides of your feet and ankles, finishing with legs straight and together. A narrower kick creates less drag and is usually gentler on the knees.
3. Glide after every kick
After the kick, stretch your arms forward and hold a long, straight shape for a moment before starting the next stroke. The glide is where you get the benefit of the kick. Counting "one" in the glide stops you rushing.
4. Keep the pull small and in front
Your hands should sweep out, then in, and stay in front of your shoulders. Pulling all the way back to your chest or hips makes the stroke slower and harder to time.
5. Get the timing right: pull, breathe, kick, glide
Your arms and legs should take turns. Pull with your arms and breathe as your head rises; then, as your arms shoot forward, kick; then glide. If your arms and legs move at the same time, they cancel each other out.
When to take a few lessons
Many adults have swum frog style for years and are surprised how much easier swimming becomes with a few changes. If you want to put your face in comfortably, learn front crawl, or swim further without tiring, a few lessons focused on breathing and timing help a lot. See our adult swimming course, ladies swimming course or senior swimming course. If putting your face in the water feels frightening, start with our water confidence course.
If you have neck, back or knee pain, check with a doctor or physiotherapist about which strokes suit you.
More in swimming technique
- 8 types of swimming strokesThe competitive strokes plus sidestroke, elementary backstroke, trudgen and combat side stroke
- What is the fastest swimming stroke?Five strokes ranked by speed, and why
- Streamline position in swimmingA 10-step guide to the fastest shape in the water
- How to kick in swimming10 steps to the flutter, breaststroke and dolphin kicks
Further reading
- World Aquatics, Swimming reference card. The official stroke, start and turn rules used in competition.
- ActiveSG Circle (Sport Singapore), SwimSafer. Singapore's National Water Safety Programme, combining swimming skills and water survival.
Want to swim frog style with less effort?
Tell us how you swim now and what you want to improve, such as putting your face in or swimming further. We will suggest a suitable course, format and pool. Lessons run at public swimming complexes, private venues and condominium pools across Singapore.