The Backstroke Lane

Do backstrokers swim with more of a bent arm pull or is the trend goiing to a straighter arm pull? When I say "straight" I don't mean locked out but with a slight bend in the arm.

Thanks Arthur, I like that idea. I could probably handle that much better than incorporating a different kick in to a stroke where I'm worrying about other things.

Anyone have any good advice on breathing patterns for backstroke? Is it best to try for breathe in on one armstroke (left arm), and out on the next armstroke (right arm) ??? Gary Hall Sr. suggests breathing once per stroke (twice per cycle), but Chris "Hung in the Lung" Stevenson breathes but once per cycle. I guess it's swimmer's choice. As a mammal, I have a peculiar fondness for air. I breathe twice per cycle. Based on recent responses it seems that many -- most? -- breathe twice per cycle and I find that a little interesting because it is contrary to the common practice in the other strokes. Back vs free is the best comparison; nobody labels someone "hung in the lung" for breathing once per stroke cycle in free. :) In fact, as someone who was an age-grouper in the 70s and early-80s, and had the "breathe every 3rd stroke" rule pounded into me, breathing every other arm pull (ie, once per cycle) in freestyle feels almost like cheating. I keep expecting a coach to yell at me about it after my races... So why the difference with backstroke? Following Gary Hall's advice in freestyle, I tried to breathe more often (eg, 3 times every 2 cycles) in free and I honestly can't feel like I'm really using the extra air. I get the same feeling in backstroke but I guess I'm in the minority. The only thing I can think of is that stroke rates in backstroke are distinctly lower than in freestyle so maybe it is more natural or efficient to breathe twice/cycle? Since I think breathing every other arm pull is almost certainly the cause of my own "loping" backstroke style (and probably that of many freestylers), I may play around with different breathing patters on sprint backstrokes to see if I can get my stroke rate up (b/c I think my SR is too low when I sprint backstroke).

... I may play around with different breathing patters on sprint backstrokes to see if I can get my stroke rate up ... I experimented briefly with not breathing at all in sprint backstroke, the rationale being that I could lay my head back a bit farther, hopefully to cut additional resistance. If you can do it in freestyle, why not? The experiments were inconclusive. I tried a few all-out 25s both ways, timed to the 1/100th, and could see no consistent difference. On the other hand, I'm not a sprinter, so it may not mean much.

Thanks! I definitely see the overreach. SDK needs improvment for other strokes as well. Seems to be the first thing that goes when I get tired. On the backstroke kick, I have a much smaller aplitude/higher frequency kick when I just kick. That has improved significantly over the last few months. However, I can't seem to coordinate it with hip rotation. Maybe it's something that works out with practice? Or perhaps if I concentrate on the smaller amplitude kick, I'll find the right timing easier? Since no one else has replied, something that I think helped me was to practice a leg driven rotation when you do kicking drills. Rotate left on your 3rd kick and right on your 6th kick for example. This is something that Aaron Peirsol mentions and shows in his go swim backstroke DVD which I recently borrowed from my Masters Association DVD library.

I can help you with that same feeling...and you won't even half to swim the 125 backstroke first!!! :bolt: Great idea! You need to get a running start to maximize the effect. Take a few steps back... just a couple more... you're almost at the right spot... :drown: Yeah, right there.

By breathing every stroke, I can take more SDK's off each wall in backstroke than I can in any other stroke. My current practice protocol is 11 SDK's off each wall and no more than 9 strokes per 25 yards. I seem to have hit some kind of personal limit because after many months of this same protocol, I've never gotten used to it - around the 125 mark of any backstroke swim, I feel like I've been punched hard in the chest. Doesn't stop me though :D It's funny you mention that. I can definitely do more SDKs in backstroke than in freestyle and butterfly. I don't know if that is because the turnover is slower (and thus my HR is generally lower) or if it is because I take deeper breaths on backstroke. Or maybe its psychological... 11 SDKs off every wall in practice is a lot, I can only manage 7-8 on a consistent basis on, say, 200 repeats (more for shorter distances with more rest). In fact, 11 SDKs would take me pretty much to the 15m mark on every wall, sheesh.

around the 125 mark of any backstroke swim, I feel like I've been punched hard in the chest. Doesn't stop me though :D I can help you with that same feeling...and you won't even half to swim the 125 backstroke first!!! :bolt:

... So why the difference with backstroke? ... Could the breathing every arm in backstroke have to do with the extension of the chest cavity by the arms' positions? In backstroke, the recovering arm is entering upper lower quadrant as the pulling arm is exiting the lower lower quadrant, exerting extension on the chest cavity. In the free the recovering arm is often in the upper forward quadrant as the pulling arm is just about to exit the lower upper quadrant (chest cavity not as extended top to bottom).

...the recovering arm is entering upper lower quadrant as the pulling arm is exiting the lower lower quadrant...the recovering arm is often in the upper forward quadrant as the pulling arm is just about to exit the lower upper quadrant... Hold on, I'm going to need a LOT more caffeine before I fully decipher that... :anim_coffee: