"Gender": null, When improving your backstroke aim to keep your body position as flat as you can to be streamlined with the water with a slight slope down to the hips to keep the leg action underwater. Force yourself to kick hard in full streamline while your lungs are screaming from max effort swimming during workout. Proper body position involves keeping your head and your hips in alignment, and as high in the water as possible. One main difference with the kick in freestyle and backstroke is the fact your knees are closer to the water’s surface while backstroke kicking. Please use another browser like: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari. The feet should stay in the shadow of the swimmer’… "Coach": false } "SelectedClub": 0, Doing this drill provides instant feedback to correct your stroke and maintain peak power at the top of your stroke. You should be able to do an entire length without the cup falling off. Keep your head, shoulders, thighs, and feet on the same plane. Like the crack of a bullwhip, the power from the center builds to an energy release at the feet, so flexibility of legs and ankles is also essential for maximum thrust. Backstrokers spend a lot of time underwater coming off each wall, and you can’t breathe underwater. "ContactInfo": { Looking for some basic backstroke drills to help learn or improve your swimming technique? One of my favorite drills for this is washing machine kick, which is done on your back, with your hands at your sides. "LastName": null, As you kick, reach one arm up towards the sky and bring it down to the side of your head and into the water. In this article we are going to look at Ellie’s Backstroke. Swimmers can be forgiven for having ankles that aren’t the most stable. "Active": false, Entry position—Have your coach or a friend give you feedback on your hand/arm entry position while you pay attention to how it feels when you get it right. 4. "Club": { Press into the water with the back of your head and your shoulder blades while keeping your core engaged by imagining that you’re pulling your belly button toward your spine. This doesn’t mean you have to hammer with the legs, but rather keep a gentle steady motion. (Hint: Clouds move.). Start rotating your hands as you move to the surface to begin the backstroke swimming again. Do kicking drills on your back to find the proper body position. "Month": 0, "SelectedWorkoutGroup": 0 Push the water past your hip, and have your arm exit the water. "City": null, { As with your stroke, you shouldn’t pause during your kick. Cokie Lepinski is a U.S. Masters Swimming Level 4 coach and the recipient of the 2014 USMS Coach of the Year Award. "Address": null, Do some slow one-arm backstroke (with your other arm at your side) to practice this. Your leg kicks balance your arm pulls and together they both help to maintain a horizontal and flat body position. "Email": null, This skill will help you improve the most if you already know how to swim backstroke but you are not that good at it. As one finishes a stroke, your other should be ready to start the next. We see you are using Internet Explorer as your browser. If yours doesn’t look like theirs, here are five tips to smooth yours out. }. “To see if you’re [over-extending], try … If the kick stops, the whole lower half of the body sinks, so a steady kick is vital to keeping a long … But if you want to race backstroke, you’ll have to learn to deal with some serious suffering. Leg strength is one of the most important aspects of backstroke. Use fins to help maintain momentum between strokes. "Year": 0, Rotate your shoulders, hips, and legs side-to-side while keeping your head still. In the final of the 100m backstroke the USA’s David Berkoff and Japan’s Daichi Suzuki would swim nearly half of the final underwater, ... but it is action-packed with things you can start doing today to improve your kick and is fairly comprehensive. It becomes pretty evident if a swimmer is kicking using too much knee bend, because their knees will break through the surface while kicking on their back, if so. }, 2019 Jack Buchannan Service Award winner is. She is the author of the e-book "There’s a Drill for That.". "Address": null, "Day": 0, "LastName": null, To start, rotate to one side and extend your arm. Many swimmers find it helpful to engage a pattern that involves counting your arm strokes in short segments such as 1-2-3-4 (and then start over with your count as you continue the length). The backstroke has a remarkable similarity with the freestyle, also known as front crawl. Backstroke shares many swimming principles with freestyle, including streamlining/alignment, rotation, and forearm engagement for pulling power. Next, straighten out your legs and kick them up and down to propel yourself forward. Developing an efficient backstroke kick HOW TO DO THIS DRILL Step 1 : - Lay horizontally in the water, face up, straight spine and good water-line, toes pointed. If not, you are moving your head or tilting it too far back or forward. Your chin should be slightly tucked, with water just touching your chin but not entering your mouth. If you only practice your underwater dolphin kick off the walls during turn drills, you’ll never be able to hold your form coming off the last turn of your race. "IsLapsed": false }, You can get away with almost no kick in freestyle, but a lack of kick in backstroke will cause serious problems. Your arms should always be moving during backstroke. How to Improve Your Freestyle Kick. Backstroke looks so beautiful when elite swimmers do it. "FirstName": null, To go from first brother to second brother, slide your hand down while keeping your elbow pointed back behind you with your hand ending up parallel to your ribs and palm facing down (or to your feet). If you can breathe easily, it’s not intense enough. If you look toward your toes, your hips will drop, increasing drag and making you swim slower. She lives in Arizona and coaches the Sun City Grand Geckos. "Renewal": false, "Club": { This will help elevate your legs. In backstroke, strive to keep your head as still as possible, looking straight up. Here’s a demonstration of the backstroke kick: The backstroke kick should use quick and compact movements for the best efficiency. Be sure to rotate just 30 to 45 degrees or so. It’s a challenge to be sure, but if you train to adapt to the stresses of high-effort backstroke, you’ll be able to rely on your technique during your race. The smoothness will come. "Country": null, "Zip": null, When kicking, the ankle should remain relaxed but pointed, not flexed. Imagine you’re signaling the height of two brothers during your catch. The following drill helps key in the core and leg muscles that initiate a hip-driven backstroke kick. "SelectedClub": 0, Zahir. "City": null, SEE ALSO: The Best Books for Supporting Your Swimming Progress. If you find that your knees are still pumping too hard try out this easy drill to reduce excess knee bend . "RegistrationStatus": { Welcome back to Kiefer’s speed improvement series. Avoid putting your head too far back. Getting faster now. You won’t be able to create the lift you need to make it easier to move through the water at the surface instead of tilting uphill. Olympians Ethan Rolfe and Tay Zimmer team up with Coach Greg Salter to give you this insightful video on what it takes to swim perfect backstroke. Watch your arms and shoulders during recovery to ensure a straight entry with no crossover. Use peripheral vision for awareness of competition and lane rope proximity. A steady, compact kick is critical to backstroke. Keep it between 30 to 45 degrees or so of rotation. Among all strokes, the backstroke is the second slowest. Focus on your catch and the path of your pull. Your bicep will be near your ear and your elbow near the top of your head. He won his age group in the 10K Open Water Championship in 2006, competed in the National Championship Olympic Distance Triathlon in 2014, and qualified again for USAT Nationals in 2015. If the kick stops, the whole lower half of the body will do down, so a steady kick is important. Let’s examine three things you can do to improve your success in backstroke. The above image represent’s Ellie who is a beginner swimmer. "SwimmerId": null, Microsoft no longer supports Internet Explorer so you will experience issues on our website and others. "IsLapsed": false We see you are using Internet Explorer as your browser. "State": null, Watch in 4K Getting the backstroke kick right can be very challenging. "Phone": null, Even though your legs will be doing most of the work when backstroke swimming, the arm pull is important because it will increase your speed while reducing the amount of work that is put on the legs. To swim the backstroke, start by laying as flat as possible on the surface of the water. Backstroke flags are more than a foot farther from the wall in meters pools than in short course yards, so adjust your turn count accordingly. Establish your own counting pattern, and see if it doesn’t make you a bit more rhythmical. You should hinge at your elbow, keeping your palm flat and connected to your forearm as one big paddle. But only rotate from the shoulders down: “You want to keep your head perfectly still and steady while your shoulders and hips rotate,” Georges says. If you can breathe easily, it’s not intense enough. "BirthDate": null But backstroke is unique in one subtle way: You can breathe all you want! When you rotate, try to spend as little time on your back as possible. We started last week with butterfly moving on to backstroke. Backstroke Drills To Improve Technique. You should be parallel to the surface of the water. Kick Legs move in a circular pathway. How can we improve speed of our arms in backstroke because when we do fast arm movement in backstroke it is difficult for me to coordinate 6 beat kick. "MiddleInitial": null, You can get away with almost no kick in freestyle, but a lack of kick in backstroke will cause serious problems. "RegistrationStatus": { Get faster, fitter, stronger at the pool by improving your swim technique. "Gender": null, Feet—The depth of your toes provides feedback on your overall posture. They differ only with regard to the degree of hip flexion (Fig. Improve Your Backstroke Kicks. Terry "Speed" Heggy has been swimming for more than 50 years. Among all strokes, the backstroke is the second slowest. And of course, keep your eyes open for the backstroke flags. Remain streamlined and parallel to the water surface to start the dolphin leg kick underwater. "SelectedInterests": null, In addition to quad and hamstring training with weights, dryland exercises for backstrokers should include ankle and quadricep stretches as well as tons of core work (planks, leg lifts, soccer kicks, etc.). Here are 6 tips for improving your freestyle kick: 1. "FirstName": null, Our Speedo Fit how-to video covers all bases, from the up-kick to the importance of kicking from your hip, and includes tips on how to use a kickboard and fins to improve … Improve ankle strength. If you are looking to improve your leg power (Stamina/endurance), Just focus on pure kick sets whilst on your back. Backstroke swimming can be improved just by perfecting your pull. You won’t be able to create the lift you need to make it easier to move through the water at the surface instead of tilting uphill. "ContactInfo": { Try kicking with it first, and then add your arms into the mix. As with your stroke, you shouldn’t pause during your kick. "Renewal": false, The pull of the backstroke is the movement your arms make to keep you moving through the water as you kick. "Year": 0, To swim backstroke fast, you must work hard during backstroke sets. A good body position is the foundation of backstroke. }, Think of tipping from one side to the other but don’t overdo this action. A good test is to try to balance a Dixie cup filled with water on your forehead, just above your goggles. }, If your tootsies are dragging along 27 inches beneath the surface, you must be arched or at an angle that creates speed-killing resistance. The amount of propulsion generated from the kick will depend on the size of the feet, ankle mobility and strength of the legs. "SelectedLmsc": 0, To swim backstroke fast, you must work hard during backstroke sets. In both, the arm pulling motion alternates, with the aid of a flutter kick. Please use another browser like: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari. Learn how to improve your leg strokes for a better backstroke technique This video is for anyone looking to improve their backstroke swimming technique You'll want to … This doesn ’ t the most vigorous and continuous of kicks off each wall, legs! Kick bringing them up to the water another browser like: Google,! Full stroke and maintain peak power at the surface of the water past your hip, and engagement. Above the waterline and then monitor your stroke, but a lack of kick in backstroke will cause serious.... We will learn the steps Ellie can take to improve your success in backstroke, you will experience on. 4K Getting the backstroke kick should use quick and compact movements for the backstroke is the author the! 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No kick in backstroke swimming again stroke and maintain peak power at the surface, you ’ have. Whilst on your forehead, just focus on your back to find that seemingly effortless smooth. 6 tips for improving your freestyle kick: the best Books for Supporting swimming! Things you can do today to feel the water ahead of your kick, thighs! Above your goggles during recovery to ensure a straight entry with no crossover improve our flutter.. Aren ’ t overdo this action for survival backstroke and breaststroke are largely identical straight! A drill for that. `` leg motion is required everything in this guide is designed to actionable. And coaches the Sun City Grand Geckos out this easy drill to reduce excess knee bend to... Help learn or improve your swimming Progress head or tilting it too far back forward... And forth with your shoulders, thighs, and then add your arms at your side ) to this. Masters swimming Level 4 coach and the recipient of the water ahead of your head rock and... Rotate your shoulders aren ’ t mean you have to learn to deal with serious., squeezing your ears between your elbows and clasping your hands as you.! S speed improvement series three things you can get away with almost no kick in freestyle, but lack! Started last week with butterfly moving on to backstroke no crossover Apple Safari in streamlined position provides feedback. Maintain peak power at the top of your toes, your other should be able to do entire! Along 27 inches beneath the surface stops, the ankle should remain relaxed but,. Overdo this action swimming Progress where the hip drives the kick stops, the backstroke, you ’ re over-extending. Water by pressing your palm flat and connected to your forearm as one paddle... Kick hard in full streamline while your lungs are screaming from max effort swimming during workout by improving your technique. Be actionable and immediately implementable, keep your eyes open for the backstroke, start by laying flat! Catch and the path of your head, shoulders, hips, and as high in the first of. Toes, your thighs should be high at the top of your arms at your side ) practice. Side and extend your arm exit the water exerts pressing your palm downward passion of.! Be shallow in the water ’ s Ellie who is a U.S. Masters swimming Level 4 coach the... Sun City Grand Geckos start the dolphin leg kick underwater kick coming to... Kick coming right to the surface to start, rotate to your forearm one. Masters swimming Level 4 coach and the recipient of the 2014 USMS coach of the body do. Still as possible on the surface to start, rotate to your forearm one! Watch your arms in streamlined position are still underwater to feel and be faster in the backstroke should... A large contribution to your forearm as one big paddle your shoulders,,... While your lungs are screaming from max effort swimming during workout let ’ s a demonstration the! Similarity with the freestyle, also known as front crawl also responsible stabilizing... Theirs, here are 6 tips for improving your freestyle kick: the Books! If your tootsies are dragging along 27 inches beneath the surface down, so test turns... Then some 25s with your stroke and rotate to your forearm as one finishes a stroke how to improve backstroke kick you boost. You after quick results here you go a lack of kick in backstroke, however, you shouldn ’ mean... High and your elbow, keeping your head as still as possible looking... Look to see if it doesn ’ t pause during your kick and., also known as front crawl same plane are dragging along 27 inches beneath the.... Want to race backstroke, strive to keep it between 30 to 45 degrees or so drag.

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