Can anyone tell me a positive reason for doing a double arm backstroke drill? The only thing it seems to be good at for me is hurting my shoulders, so I refuse to do it. When I think about it, I can't come up with any reason why this drill would do you any good anyway. In real backstroke, you are supposed to roll your body from side to side, right? That's a key part of the stroke. When doing a double arm recovery, you can't roll at all. So what is the point?
Whenever a coach assigns this, I just quietly do something else. If they were to try to "encourage" me to do it anyway, I'd tell them what they could do with that idea.
The only thing I can think it might help correct is overreaching. Much harder to overreach when you're using both arms. That said, I never do it as a drill. I use it solely as a recovery swim after I've done something AFAP.
Don't do it if it bothers your shoulder. I can't say that there are many good backstroke drills IMHO. The roll drill is OK, I guess. Whenever I drill, it's very rarely backstroke.
symmetry in the pull phase? I find it easier to mentally compare the pulls my two arms are doing when they are doing the same thing at the same time instead of alternating.
Former Member
Whenever I drill, it's very rarely backstroke.
The way I look at it, backstroke IS a drill. It's like freestyle, only you swim it on your back.
If it's hurting your shoulders then odds are you are overreaching. Double arm backstroke drill helps to prevent overreaching by making it very difficult to overreach.
The way I look at it, backstroke IS a drill. It's like freestyle, only you swim it on your back.
That's really funny. I remember the only backstroke drill I ever did in age group was the one where I pulled on the lane lines to avoid doing back stroke any more than I had to.
Former Member
I love the double arm backstroke drill! It's easy and fun. I agree that it's good for symmetry. Another purpose is to work on feeling the catch and the underwater acceleration. At least, that's what I focus on while doing it.
Swimming fly on the back is another fun drill. Not sure how useful that is, but it's a hell of a lot easier than regular fly. I use it to observe my stroke and work on timing, without the distraction of asphyxia.
The drill helps some people correct some of their backstroke flaws:
- Some swimmers benefit as it helps them 'feel' and improve the early catch;
- It helps some swimmers better 'feel' the correct hand entry, helping them correct their tendency to enter the hand across the center line;
- It helps some people 'feel' the right neck, back and hip positiion and correct problems of 'posture.'
- It helps some people 'feel' how to maintain a steady kick on their back.
Swimming fly on the back is another fun drill. Not sure how useful that is, but it's a hell of a lot easier than regular fly. I use it to observe my stroke and work on timing, without the distraction of asphyxia.
Sorry to veer off-subject, but that's what I feel like when swimming fly. I don't really seem to get any air. After a few strokes I'm out of oxygen... :(
I don't much like backstroke but I think double arm backstroke is a decent drill for concentrating on the acceleration past your hips at the end of the stroke. When I was coaching age-groupers, I looked at drills as a tool to concentrate on certain aspects of stroke improvement and also as something different that helps develop general coordination in the water. And it can be fun.
Actually, anything that makes a swimmer slow down and THINK about what they are doing is a little bit helpful, IMO. If double arm backstroke hurts your shoulder or irritates you, don't do it.
My coach has us do double arm back to concentrate on the finish of the stroke. I find it helpful, but I don't do it if I have sore shoulders for any reason.
