I find it much harder to reduce the stroke per length in backstroke than in free. In free, you can glide a long distance in each stroke, but not so in backstroke. What should I work on, the pull, or the kick, or the coordination of the hand and leg? Appreciate any comments.
Parents
Former Member
...When swimming backstroke my pull seems to be very wide and I sometimes touch people in the adjacent lane. Just curious if this happens to people with good backstrokes.
I think it is just the nature of the beast... and inevitable, regardless of your skill level.
:blush:
I remember seeing cracks on this forum about the backstrokers and breaststrokers scratching and kicking everyone who goes by. That's about all you can do with it. (Laugh it off.) Quicksilver's excellent doodles show pretty well why this is unavoidable.
U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Reducing stroke per length in backstroke
Technically I think I qualify as having a "good backstroke" (I'm just not real fast). I come in contact (the fateful "scratch") with folks, especially on the other side of the lane line, fairly frequently. Not much you can do about it if you keep good form, 'cause you just don't know they are there. I can still see the dirty looks. I've made plenty of apologies.
Fortunately I still have the ability to choose when I swim most of the time, and can get in at off-peak times. But there are always some times when it is busy. I amazed at how often there can be one person in every lane and the next one to get in chooses my lane... even though everyone but me is doing just front crawl... they obviously miss this, and don't know till it is too late that "wide" strokes (fly, back, ***). Yeah, I like the IM. ;)
I can still see the looks of terror, the whites of their eyes, as they come up for air in breaststroke and see me coming at them fly. :afraid: They pause, which then throws off my timing and makes me miss even more strokes... oh well. :dunno:
...When swimming backstroke my pull seems to be very wide and I sometimes touch people in the adjacent lane. Just curious if this happens to people with good backstrokes.
I think it is just the nature of the beast... and inevitable, regardless of your skill level.
:blush:
I remember seeing cracks on this forum about the backstrokers and breaststrokers scratching and kicking everyone who goes by. That's about all you can do with it. (Laugh it off.) Quicksilver's excellent doodles show pretty well why this is unavoidable.
U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Reducing stroke per length in backstroke
Technically I think I qualify as having a "good backstroke" (I'm just not real fast). I come in contact (the fateful "scratch") with folks, especially on the other side of the lane line, fairly frequently. Not much you can do about it if you keep good form, 'cause you just don't know they are there. I can still see the dirty looks. I've made plenty of apologies.
Fortunately I still have the ability to choose when I swim most of the time, and can get in at off-peak times. But there are always some times when it is busy. I amazed at how often there can be one person in every lane and the next one to get in chooses my lane... even though everyone but me is doing just front crawl... they obviously miss this, and don't know till it is too late that "wide" strokes (fly, back, ***). Yeah, I like the IM. ;)
I can still see the looks of terror, the whites of their eyes, as they come up for air in breaststroke and see me coming at them fly. :afraid: They pause, which then throws off my timing and makes me miss even more strokes... oh well. :dunno:
