The Backstroke Lane

This is my first visit to this thread. I had a lot of reading to do to catch up. I have a few suggestions that I have learned over the years (I'm 70 for FINA meets and a backstroker). 1. In some pools, I find it better to start holding the gutter. However, at some meets, the touch pad extend up 18 in and you have to use the starting block. 2. I always had a hard time going straight and usually hugged the lane line as a guide. One year my coach had us do lots and lots of drills: six kicks on side/switch to other side and "L" drill where you hold your arm straight up forming an L with your body for a count of 3. When I went to nationals that year in an outdoor pool, I remember being amazed that I went straight. I believe the drills made a huge difference. 3. As a kid, I did not backstroke except on IM. I was always dead by the breaststroke. I didn't learn until I was coaching that I had been holding my breath and gulping air. Now I consciously breath in on one arm, out on the other. I have asthma so exhaling is always a problem. 4. Kicking. When I coach I had trouble getting swimmers not to bend their knees. This past weekend at SwimFest I learned to tell them to imaginge kicking a ball. You bring your leg back, you don't bend your knee. It works like a charm to correct the kick. 5. In a Richard Quick video, he advocated turning your hips before your hand enters the water. This requires a quick snap of the hips. It solves two problems. One, your hand will enter with more force. Two, you can't over-reach if you are on your side. I don't know why I haven't read this thread before. I found it very interesting and helpful. I am still trying to decide how much, if at all, I should dolphin off the walls.

This is my first visit to this thread. I had a lot of reading to do to catch up. I have a few suggestions that I have learned over the years (I'm 70 for FINA meets and a backstroker). 1. In some pools, I find it better to start holding the gutter. However, at some meets, the touch pad extend up 18 in and you have to use the starting block. 2. I always had a hard time going straight and usually hugged the lane line as a guide. One year my coach had us do lots and lots of drills: six kicks on side/switch to other side and "L" drill where you hold your arm straight up forming an L with your body for a count of 3. When I went to nationals that year in an outdoor pool, I remember being amazed that I went straight. I believe the drills made a huge difference. 3. As a kid, I did not backstroke except on IM. I was always dead by the breaststroke. I didn't learn until I was coaching that I had been holding my breath and gulping air. Now I consciously breath in on one arm, out on the other. I have asthma so exhaling is always a problem. 4. Kicking. When I coach I had trouble getting swimmers not to bend their knees. This past weekend at SwimFest I learned to tell them to imaginge kicking a ball. You bring your leg back, you don't bend your knee. It works like a charm to correct the kick. 5. In a Richard Quick video, he advocated turning your hips before your hand enters the water. This requires a quick snap of the hips. It solves two problems. One, your hand will enter with more force. Two, you can't over-reach if you are on your side. I don't know why I haven't read this thread before. I found it very interesting and helpful. I am still trying to decide how much, if at all, I should dolphin off the walls.