Backstroke--Where's the fun?

...love the back when I get a chance to rest from my fly or free...The Wookiee Rest? ...love the *** when I get a chance to rest from my fly or free...billy fanstone Rest? You’ll have plenty of time to rest when you dry. In the mean time stick with the free and fly.

I think I had good coaches who taught me to swim it properly at age 13 so that's made it easier for me. I've always been a breaststroker, until I hurt my knee in 1997 (I think it was that year). Then I had to switch to back (that year I went 1:03 and 2:16 mostly wearing stretch cordz because I couldn't even push off the walls!) While those times aren't fast, I was happy with them :) Backstroke is very much a comfort thing. You definitely need correct body position or you do get water up your nose and that "I'm sinking" feeling. The biggest mistake I see people making, who don't like backstroke, is that they are "sitting" in the water. Instead of hips on the surface, they are too far underwater, which will throw off the whole thing... I like backstroke mostly because I think the start is fun and I really like long underwater work and getting to kick fly on my back! It seems to be the only stroke that I can somewhat sprint too (actually feel like I'm turning over).

I like backstroke mostly because I think the start is fun and I really like long underwater work and getting to kick fly on my back! It seems to be the only stroke that I can somewhat sprint too (actually feel like I'm turning over). Me too. I sprint a lot more effectively on my back than on my front (although I do prefer the 200 back to the 50). I think it's because I do a better job of using my kick for propulsion on my back than on my front, both flutter kicking while swimming at the surface and dolphin kicking off the walls. Also you can breathe a lot when you are at the surface on your back, and I do love to breathe. To access the fun in backstroke, you gotta really lean back and flatten at the hip so that you stay smooth on top of the water. Then you gotta develop a good twisting kick and strong obliques so that you can rotate well. If you don't rotate enough your pull will pull you sideways rather than just forwards (or is that backwards)? Then just watch for the flags or it will go from fun to a splitting headache in a very short time.

The fun is: when you've been trying for 8 years to break your personal best time of 1:09 100SCM back (achieved as a summer-leaguer), never coming close, and then suddenly, as the final event of 11 at a 3 day meet, 3 months removed from nearly having a destroyed your knee... knocking a second and a half off that PB.

The fun is: when you've been trying for 8 years to break your personal best time of 1:09 100SCM back (achieved as a summer-leaguer), never coming close, and then suddenly, as the final event of 11 at a 3 day meet, 3 months removed from nearly having a destroyed your knee... knocking a second and a half off that PB. That does sound like fun!

The fun is: when you've been trying for 8 years to break your personal best time of 1:09 100SCM back (achieved as a summer-leaguer), never coming close, and then suddenly, as the final event of 11 at a 3 day meet, 3 months removed from nearly having a destroyed your knee... knocking a second and a half off that PB. Great job, Muppet! You and SwimmieAvs really burned up the pool! I like backstroke for the cool starts and turns and underwater SDKs. Plus, it comes pretty naturally to me. So it's one stroke I don't have to obsessively dwell on technique and I can just enjoy. But fly is much more fun.

I like backstroke for the cool starts and turns and underwater SDKs. Plus, it comes pretty naturally to me. So it's one stroke I don't have to obsessively dwell on technique and I can just enjoy. But fly is much more fun. I'm with Fortress, for much the same reasons. Backstroke is relaxing, almost zen-like. And I can get by without goggles if the chlorine isn't too bad -- and I usually practice in an ozonated pool (which is just awesome, by the way). But fly is the coolest stroke, definitely to watch and to do (when one isn't dying, that is). This dates me, but...I used to love the old stand-up backstroke starts. Anybody here remember them? Hardly any effort needed at all, yet oh so effective. On the other hand, I don't miss the old flip turns at all. Chris

There is no fun in backstroke! We only swim it because we want to do the I.M., or if we want to get a suntan up front, or if we are floating along...it is evil to do the backstroke. You get water up your nose, you get your sinuses filled with it, you almost drown. I hate the backstroke...love the *** when I get a chance to rest from my fly or free...billy fanstone

Backstroke to me feels like the way they describe waterboarding. I never feel like I'm getting a good breath and it often feels like I'm drowning. Unfortunately it is my best stroke so I guess I'll stick with it. Plus it is way better than that inefficient, satan-spawned stroke (***).

I like backstroke much better than breaststroke. I'm just not very fast (of course that applies to the other 3 strokes too). But since I've been focusing more on it, it is improving. I even recently swam a QT in the 50 for SC Nationals next spring.