I'm trying to understand what my backstroke pull should look like, and was hoping someone could help me out. Videos or graphics would be great, but I'll try and understand text if that is all that is available. I seem to be having trouble "grabbing" the water. That isn't the greatest description, but it is this slipping thing kind of like a dropped elbow would be in freestyle. I've finally figured out that whatever I did to try and overcome/overpower that feeling a couple weeks ago is what made my shoulder hurt. Basically I think I need to just start over with my stroke on this one.
I saw my name mentioned and will make a comment. Thanks Michigan Husker for the compliment. I wrote an article called a "Backstroke Technique Workout" for Swim Magazine in the Jan/Feb 2005 issue. In the Tech Tips from the article, I stated there are the 3R's in the backstroke body roll and they are very important and must be thought of and worked on at every practice. The 3R's are rhythm, rotation, and relaxation. Leslie/Fortress explained very well why rotation was very important and if you rotate very little or don't at all you will not use your core body strength and this will put you at a disadvantage to a swimmer that does because he will not strain his arms and shoulders as much and its been proven in both back and free that by rotating the body sideways while swimming will be faster and more efficient that having the body still and swimming barge like. I think the swimmer in the video does not only an excellent demonstration of rotation, but rhythum and relaxation as well.
I would recommend the drills that both Husker and Fortress have mentioned. Rhythm and timing are so important. One of the areas that swimmers need improvement on is overreaching. A lot of times one arm is great and the other overreaches. When I was a younger swimmer to avoid doing this my coach would have my hands entering at the 9:00 and 3:00 positions and pull the arm in that fashion so that when I would change it would be easier and I would not overextend and overreach with the entry. Timing, turnover and tempo can be dictated by your rhythm. In backstoke, you can observe body position at all times, but you can't easily see your arms pulling thru the water as you can in the other strokes.
Relaxation is key also. The best backstrokers out there today and in the past look relaxed with there technique and do not look like they are fighting the water with resistance but using there body to flow thru the water with less resistance. I will provide 4 tips below that will help with the 3R's.
1. Lots of kicking with hands extended above the head, body in a streamlined position, head steady, and keeping the shoulders and hips in unision.
2. When pulling, make sure you are bending yours arms during the sweep thru the water rather than using a straight-arm pull. I relate it to a person swinging a golf club or tennis racket because the power is generated in bending the arm thru the swing.
3. Maximize distance per stroke through better backstroke push-offs from the wall. Swimmers should kick to the surface with no splash and in a streamlined continous kick from the hips with loose ankles and flexible knees. For those that have excellent dolphin kicks, it is recommended that kick be used in place of a flutter kick and if not stay with the flutter kick until you can develop the skills to do the dolphin kick.
4. This last point should be worked on when the swimmer feels comfortable with the 3R's. Pushoffs from the start and turns and maximize the distance you can go underwater in a fashsion explained in 1. Practice vertical kicking to help with kicking tempo. Do some hypoxic sets to become more comfortable with being underwater to develop the best potential maximum breakout of 15 meters. On every turn work on this in practice and you will become better as your body gets used to it.
I saw my name mentioned and will make a comment. Thanks Michigan Husker for the compliment. I wrote an article called a "Backstroke Technique Workout" for Swim Magazine in the Jan/Feb 2005 issue. In the Tech Tips from the article, I stated there are the 3R's in the backstroke body roll and they are very important and must be thought of and worked on at every practice. The 3R's are rhythm, rotation, and relaxation. Leslie/Fortress explained very well why rotation was very important and if you rotate very little or don't at all you will not use your core body strength and this will put you at a disadvantage to a swimmer that does because he will not strain his arms and shoulders as much and its been proven in both back and free that by rotating the body sideways while swimming will be faster and more efficient that having the body still and swimming barge like. I think the swimmer in the video does not only an excellent demonstration of rotation, but rhythum and relaxation as well.
I would recommend the drills that both Husker and Fortress have mentioned. Rhythm and timing are so important. One of the areas that swimmers need improvement on is overreaching. A lot of times one arm is great and the other overreaches. When I was a younger swimmer to avoid doing this my coach would have my hands entering at the 9:00 and 3:00 positions and pull the arm in that fashion so that when I would change it would be easier and I would not overextend and overreach with the entry. Timing, turnover and tempo can be dictated by your rhythm. In backstoke, you can observe body position at all times, but you can't easily see your arms pulling thru the water as you can in the other strokes.
Relaxation is key also. The best backstrokers out there today and in the past look relaxed with there technique and do not look like they are fighting the water with resistance but using there body to flow thru the water with less resistance. I will provide 4 tips below that will help with the 3R's.
1. Lots of kicking with hands extended above the head, body in a streamlined position, head steady, and keeping the shoulders and hips in unision.
2. When pulling, make sure you are bending yours arms during the sweep thru the water rather than using a straight-arm pull. I relate it to a person swinging a golf club or tennis racket because the power is generated in bending the arm thru the swing.
3. Maximize distance per stroke through better backstroke push-offs from the wall. Swimmers should kick to the surface with no splash and in a streamlined continous kick from the hips with loose ankles and flexible knees. For those that have excellent dolphin kicks, it is recommended that kick be used in place of a flutter kick and if not stay with the flutter kick until you can develop the skills to do the dolphin kick.
4. This last point should be worked on when the swimmer feels comfortable with the 3R's. Pushoffs from the start and turns and maximize the distance you can go underwater in a fashsion explained in 1. Practice vertical kicking to help with kicking tempo. Do some hypoxic sets to become more comfortable with being underwater to develop the best potential maximum breakout of 15 meters. On every turn work on this in practice and you will become better as your body gets used to it.
