Hope that helps! Good backstrokers swim as if their spines are BBQ skewers around which their upper torsos rotate. I like to use the head to illustrate a common mistake on backstroke turns, which is over rotation. Support yourself by placing your hands on the ground next to your hips. A common problem coaches will see in this progression is dropping hips and/or a lack of rotation from the hips and through the side body. Fins allow you to slack on proper posture, which can cause your hips to sink. The head is extremely effective for demonstrating correct head and eye position as you approach the wall for a breaststroke or butterfly turn. Yes, I do count strokes. Everyone in the swimming community knows a swimmer (or many swimmers) with a forward head, rounded spine, raised shoulders, hands facing backwards, and hips positioned forward. Can you share a tip for how to stay in the middle of your lane for backstroke? So letâs get to grip with some backstroke basics and drills. Copyright © 2020. Swimming World will be bringing you a drill, concept, or tip that you can implement with your team on a regular basis. The Best Gifts for Swimmers in 2020 | Exclusive Discounts! Related: How to Swim Breaststroke with Perfect Technique. ⦠Improper rotation and kicking can interfere with your tempo. Learn why swimmers have poor posture and even the term âSwimmers Postureâ named after them.â A rounded spine and forward head posture are common on pool decks. When your hand re-enters the water, rotate toward that arm to reduce drag created by your shoulders. Whichever arm is pulling, cross that same foot over in front of the other. Analyzing Sarah Sjöströmâs Butterfly Technique, Missy Franklin Shares Tips for Overcoming Failure, New Online Course | The #AskASwimPro Show, The Future of Swimming | Introducing MySwimPro Studios, The Best arena Gear for Swimmers | 2020 Holiday Deals. Timing- Simple=Not letting hands stop at entry or exit phase of stroke to More complex=Tempo training (hand speed and stroke count) Breathing- To be a better swimmer, you need to improve your swim technique and you need to improve your swim fitness, two key elements of good swimming (you probably already realized they were needed! Backstroke also strengthens the upper back and lats, pulling your shoulders back, which helps create better posture. One-Arm Drill In order to feel comfortable with your stroke, Pease recommends concentrating on each arm individually for starters. During backstroke, the shoulders end up in a helpful position for improving posture â the shoulders are back and the belly is engaged. Backstroke is my favorite style even though I do free, break no fly at all. Single-arm combos 2-2-2 3-2-1 Double-arm L-Drill. See how great coaches use drills to develop championship backstroke pulls. Your email address will not be published. Hand-entry position and pausing on the recovery are two common stroke errors that can be frustrating to correct. In backstroke, strive to keep your head as still as possible, looking straight up. Twenty drills focus on the correct hand and body position for the backstroke catch and recovery. Getting better at both could improve swim speed and efficiency. Junya performs this precise backstroke pulling motion gradually increasing his stroke rate, with and without using boxing mitts for the correct elbow bend. But it can be challenging to get your arms going fast while swimming on your back! In spin drill, youâll swim backstroke and try to move your arms as fast as possible, not worrying about catching water, rotating or keeping your hips up. We know many swimmers like to use fins, but we recommend laying off of them until you have proper body position down, especially for backstroke. From this point, the pull will feel similar to a high-elbow freestyle pull. Each swimmer is different! Practicing spin drill can teach your arms to move more quickly when it comes time to race! Thereâs no monster drive or dependable iron play without a solid and well shaped posture. The kick should be driven from your hip flexors rather than from your knees. But getting it right takes time and effort. Ready to swim your best backstroke ever? In streamline, stack your hands on top of each other and squeeze your biceps by your ears. Good spinal alignment and core tension not only improve comfort on the back, but can also contribute to an effective backstroke. To strengthen the âupâ kick, work on strengthening your hamstrings, glutes and lower back with dryland training. This pinky-first entry is key to setting up a proper Early Vertical Forearm catch. Doing this drill provides instant feedback to correct your stroke and maintain peak power at the top of your stroke. 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