Missed the memo about the changes in Backstroke ...
Former Member
Just did my second Swimetrics test last week and got the results. It's great stuff for my Freestyle and I got a lot of good feedback
-- this time, I also did my Backstroke and I think I must have missed out on the changes in backstroke technique. I am not totally clean on the pinky entry, so that's what I would have expected but then:
- I try to get to a 90 degree angle on my arm pull, which means my hands / fingers are pointing slightly up with the shoulder rotation -- apparently all wrong ... keep arm at about 120 degrees ?? Fingers pointing horizontal ... I tried that today and I reach soooo far into the other lane and oncoming traffic ...:bump:
- Then, I was taught kind of a downward swoop finishing the stroke off a little underneath my hip and then exiting the water. Well - that appears to be totally wrong (somehwat obvious when you see it .. I guess). :badday:
I had watched some underwater videos of Peirsol and I noticed this stuff - but I must have missed the boat somewhere in the last few decades...
Me too. I has a swim power test done for freestyle and made an immediate switch to incorporate the suggestions I received. The 2 biggest technique flaws I had for freestyle were:
- Hand should not re-enter at an angle (which I was taught in the 70s), but instead, enter with the palm parallel to the water.
and
- Underwater pull should be straight back- no s-curve, figure-8 curve, or whatever it is they taught me back in the 70s- flailing your hand around underwater is a waste of energy and less powerful.
Both of these felt immediately more natural and there is less pinching in my shoulders, and it may end up being faster as well. This has huge implications from being able to train harder without injury, to having a more efficient and faster stroke. My technique basically leaped forward a few decades, and was the best $100 I've spent for swimming related stuff.
Yeah, Val's got it. But years ago I was taught to have my hand enter at an angle where my thumb entered the water first, and the first movement on the retrieve was to "scoop" outwards to begin an "S" retrieve. Apparently, this is tougher on the shoulder than the new entry, and less efficient for some.
Somewhere in the late 1980's they introduced a third peak to the stroke cycle.
At the finish of your down sweep, near the hip, the palm rotates slightly and faces upward. The thought behind this is, as your hand exits, it gets one last thrust on the water for added propulsion. (This might be why they did away the the 90 degree arm wrestle as one finishes the down sweep).
I'm experimenting with it now, and find that my arm is less tense on the recovery with the palm facing slightly up.
(But as you said, it is a much wider pull pattern underwater.)
- , enter with the palm parallel to the water.
.
Do you have a picture/video of this? I am trying to picture it but having a difficult time seeing the benefit.
Do you have a picture/video of this?
Hands are entering level to the water. Not angled (palm facing out.)
slo-motion right around :50 into the video shows this very well.
YouTube - Go Swim Freestyle with Jason Lezak
Hands are entering level to the water. Not angled (palm facing out.)
slo-motion right around :50 into the video shows this very well.
YouTube - Go Swim Freestyle with Jason Lezak
Am I seeing that right? It almost looks like he is slapping his palm to the water.
Thanks Quick, I might have to pick up the full video.
Yeah, Val's got it. But years ago I was taught to have my hand enter at an angle where my thumb entered the water first, and the first movement on the retrieve was to "scoop" outwards to begin an "S" retrieve. Apparently, this is tougher on the shoulder than the new entry, and less efficient for some.
Lezak's entry seems to generate more bubbles, but I will bubble my way down the pool if it means going faster with less risk of shoulder injury.
Am I seeing that right? It almost looks like he is slapping his palm to the water.
Thanks Quick, I might have to pick up the full video.
That was my first thought too...he is slapping his palm/forearm.
Lezak's entry seems to generate more bubbles, but I will bubble my way down the pool if it means going faster with less risk of shoulder injury.
Bubbles are not good. Notice how he sheds all of them after achieving an extended reach.
As to why this may be taught more readily at the moment, the palm facing outward is often the cause of shoulder impingement in many swimmers.
And as Speedo said, the I pull seems to have taken over (in favor of the S pull). No more carving out and then back in. Straight back with slight variations in hand pitch.
