I am by no means a natural backstroker (my backstroke is my slowest stroke by a good 2-3 seconds per 50m). I have now twice swum a 5K open water swim breaststroke and have decided to do the same swim next year backstroke. (Why? because I can't yet swim a 5K fly and freestyle bores me. :)
So...
1. When I swim back, I find I want to breathe in time with my arms. I generally breathe out every time an arm hits the water. This obviously leads to a nearly panting breathing rhythm. I am a musician in my spare time and find that breathing at a natural rhythm in my backstroke makes my arms want to line up with that rhythm (thereby getting slower). How do backstrokers breathe, anyhow?
2. What should the pull be like underwater?
3. What one thing is likely to improve my speed? (I know you haven't seen me swim backstroke, but picture a graduate of a typical 'learn to swim' program and you're pretty much accurate. :)
Thanks,
Heather, wannabe backstroker (up to 800m continuous backstroke)
Former Member
Thanks all for the replies! I swam yesterday (2 x 900m back) and tried to focus on breathing comfortably not at the same rhythm as my stroke. I CAN do it, but it's tough going!! I will continue to work.
As for the 5K, it's held in Ontario, Canada, every September. It's in a quarry - 11 laps make up the 5K. So yes, I do have to make sure I can swim reasonably straight. :) www.soloswims.com and then click the St Mary's link on the right-hand side of the page.
I hold the breaststroke record for my age group (because I'm the only one who's ever done breaststroke in my age group :) and will have the backstroke record next year by the same method if all goes well.
Carry on giving this poor non-backstroker tips if you have good ones. :)
Thanks!
Heather
Heather,
Your question on breathing during backstroke is really important. I believe a lot of people who do not like backstroke (besides not being able to see where you are going) do not have the breathing correct. As a kid, I never liked to backstroke and always had trouble on an IM when I got to my two best strokes because the backstroke killed me. When I was coaching 10 and under kids at about the same time I started swimming Masters, I realized that I held my breath and gulped air. When I started making myself breathe in on one armstroke and out on the other, backstroke became easy. It is now my favorite and most consistent stroke.
Betsy
I looked up the URL and then typed it wrong. Gah!
I edited my original post. Thanks. :)
Now that my backstroke breathing is beginning to come under control, how do I swim back faster? I take about 1:00 for a 50m back when I do it in a distance set, and can maintain that for 900m. If I do just a 50m back, it's about 51 seconds. It's slower than my breaststroke!
Thanks,
Heather
Lenny Krayzelburg tips his head back so that sometimes water is even over his goggles. Since he can swim some pretty good backstroke I'm willing to bet this isn't a bad idea. Helps get the hips up too.
Make sure you are rotating on backstroke. Try swimming it with SMALL paddles that'll help you fell where your stroke is slipping.
A key to speed and distance-per-stroke is the shoulder and torso rotation. You should have your shoulders/arm at a 90 degree angle to the water, so that if someone looking underwater (from certain angles) could not tell if you are swimming crawl or backstroke.
Once you have the shoulder rotation down , a good way of improving speed is simply speeding up your turn-over ratio.
