Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to prevent my legs from dropping as I attempt to backstroke? I learned how to swim last year, but I did a lot of faking it by not really using my legs that much. This year I want to do it right so I can't seem to make both my arms and legs move at the same time.
Parents
Former Member
Don't kick up and down !
I always have to re-educate kids who come into my club. They are taught to swim on their backs and kick straight up and down. I have to get them to realise that the kick is side to side, linked to good body roll and a strong arm action. The kids should all be taught using the total immersion method for backstroke as it sets them up to swim backstroke well and those are the drills that i use to correct them.
In backstroke if you think of the kick as really a side to side motion it will work better. That is 3 kicks to one side, body roll, 3 kicks to other side, body roll. Practice it with arms at your sides.
If you practice the stroke that way you will have strong kick co-ordinated with good body roll. The Marty Hull video on "Fluid swimming" at: www.zoomers.net really shows this and also will teach you how a scissoring type of kick can be used to trigger and aid the body roll from side to side.
The other points about head laying back, not "sitting up" in the water are all valid.
Don't kick up and down !
I always have to re-educate kids who come into my club. They are taught to swim on their backs and kick straight up and down. I have to get them to realise that the kick is side to side, linked to good body roll and a strong arm action. The kids should all be taught using the total immersion method for backstroke as it sets them up to swim backstroke well and those are the drills that i use to correct them.
In backstroke if you think of the kick as really a side to side motion it will work better. That is 3 kicks to one side, body roll, 3 kicks to other side, body roll. Practice it with arms at your sides.
If you practice the stroke that way you will have strong kick co-ordinated with good body roll. The Marty Hull video on "Fluid swimming" at: www.zoomers.net really shows this and also will teach you how a scissoring type of kick can be used to trigger and aid the body roll from side to side.
The other points about head laying back, not "sitting up" in the water are all valid.
