what is a full backstroke course

The backstroke, or back crawl, uses alternating and opposite arm movements. As one arm pulls through the water from an overhead position to the hip, the other arm recovers above the water from the hip to the overhead position and vice versa. The legs perform a flutter kick, similar to the one used in the front crawl.

Full Answer

What is the backstroke?

Mar 13, 2021 · The backstroke, or back crawl, uses alternating and opposite arm movements. As one arm pulls through the water from an overhead position to the hip, the other arm recovers above the water from the hip to the overhead position and vice versa. The legs perform a flutter kick, similar to the one used in the front crawl.

Is backstroke fast or slow in swimming?

Jul 28, 2021 · Backstroke is one of four recognized swim strokes. It’s the second fastest (after freestyle ), and the only one that involves being on your back. To that end, it’s essentially freestyle on your back, as it involves the same flutter kick and also a long axis stroke, meaning you rotate your body along the long axis of your spine.

What is the difference between backstroke and freestyle?

The backstroke is the only of the four swimming strokes where the athlete starts from in the water. Backstrokers hop into the water when the referee blows the first whistle, grab a bar on the starting block and plant their feet on the wall, usually covered with an electronic timing pad.

How to perform a backstroke drill?

Dec 21, 2018 · Mistake 1. Lack of rotation. Body position is one of the backstroke basics. It is vital to backstroke and many put undue strain on their muscles by keeping their body and legs in the same position. Instead, naturally rotate your body through the shoulders and hips with your arm action, rotating to the left as your left arm enters the water and ...

What are the 3 phases of the backstroke?

What is standard backstroke?

What is the main purpose of backstroke?

Is the backstroke hard?

What is the difference between backstroke and elementary backstroke?

What is the difference between breaststroke and backstroke?

What is the disadvantage of backstroke?

Does backstroke work core?

Is backstroke good for toning?

What is the body position of backstroke?

Is backstroke easier than freestyle?

Why is backstroke so slow?

What is the common mistake in backstroke?

“A common mistake among beginners learning backstroke is the combination of dropping their hips and doing a ‘bicycle kick’ (bending at the knee as they kick),” Georges says. “Often what accompanies these errors is a head position where the swimmer is looking down toward their feet.” Not only is that hugely inefficient, but it also creates a great deal of drag.

How to maximize power in backstroke?

To maximize your power in the backstroke, you should slightly roll your body from side to side. 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.

Is swimming a good way to get fit?

By Emma-Kate Lidbury • Dec 3, 2020. Swimming is one of the best ways to get fit: It burns tons of calories, offers a great cardiovascular workout, and is a zero-impact exercise. The go-to swimming stroke for most people is freestyle, but if you only stick to that one, your swim workouts can get pretty monotonous.

How to get your arm out of the water?

Pull: Pull your arm down and under the water, slightly bending your elbow. Sweep your arm down and through the water toward your outer thigh, pushing the water with your hand. Release: As your arm nears your body, begin to straighten it, lifting it out of the water with your thumb leading.

How to recover from a stroke?

Recovery: Move your arm in an arc to begin the stroke again with your pinky entering the water first. Your arms should be moving continually in an alternating fashion — when one is sweeping up out of the water, the other arm is pulling underneath the water.

How to do a flutter kick?

Here are some tips to master the flutter kick: Keep your legs close together. Generate power from your hips, not your knees. Your whole leg should be moving with each kick, not just your lower leg. Your legs should be relaxed and bent slightly. Think of your legs as battle ropes, moving fluidly up and down.

How to get power in your legs?

Keep your legs close together. Generate power from your hips, not your knees. Your whole leg should be moving with each kick, not just your lower leg. Your legs should be relaxed and bent slightly. Think of your legs as battle ropes, moving fluidly up and down.

Is backstroke the same as freestyle?

The backstroke is similar to the freestyle (or front crawl), in that the arm pulling motion alternates, and there is a flutter kick (albeit inverted) to aid in propulsion. In this overview of the backstroke we are gonna get into it all, including: The history of the backstroke. How long it’s been around and some of the major changes it has ...

Who broke the world record for the 200m backstroke?

Aaron Piersol (USA). As a 17-year old Piersol placed second at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 200m backstroke, an event he would go on to dominate for nearly a decade, breaking the world record in the event 7 times.

What is the only stroke where the athlete starts from the water?

The backstroke is the only of the four swimming strokes where the athlete starts from in the water. Backstrokers hop into the water when the referee blows the first whistle, grab a bar on the starting block and plant their feet on the wall, usually covered with an electronic timing pad.

What is the easiest stroke to learn?

Backstroke is one of the easiest strokes to learn, and one of the hardest to master. Here are some basic technique tips for backstroke swimmers. Your face should be pointing straight up. The natural instinct when doing backstroke is to look around.

Who is Olivier Poirier-Leroy?

Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer and the author of the books YourSwimBook and Conquer the Pool. He writes all things high-performance swimming, and his articles were read over 3 million times last year. His work has appeared on USA Swimming, SwimSwam, STACK, NBC Universal, and more. He's also kinda tall and can be found on Twitter.

Is backstroke easy?

Backstroke is a great workout, a quick and elegant stroke, and can even be a ‘take it easy’ gentle pace Sunday glide. But getting it right takes time and effort. So let’s get to grip with some backstroke basics and drills.

Is backstroke a good workout?

Backstroke basics and drills. Backstroke is a great workout, a quick and elegant stroke, and can even be a ‘take it easy’ gentle pace Sunday glide. But getting it right takes time and effort. So let’s get to grip with some backstroke basics and drills.

How to swim in a straight line?

To swim in a straight line, keep your eyes open (wear goggles so unexpected waves don’t distract you) and follow a fixed point on the ceiling throughout the length. If there are lane ropes, steal a sly glance in their direction now and again as well to make sure you’re sticking a similar distance from it.

What happens when you push water down your arm?

If you’re pushing water down your body will naturally move up and bob in the water and cause resistance.

Who is the course designed for?

This course is relevant to any Level 1 Swimming Assistant who is looking to progress to their Level 2 Teaching Swimming qualification, or those who want to refresh their knowledge.

Course content

This course contains videos and interactive activities which are designed to enhance your learning experience.

What is the backstroke?

The key elements of a backstroke start. Introduction: Backstroke is the only competitive stroke, where the swimmer starts in the water. Like all competitive strokes, the start is the fastest part of a swimmer’s race, which requires the swimmer to explode off the block with great technique and power.

What is the purpose of the backstroke drill?

Purpose: The purpose of this drill is to develop the explosive drive from the toes, legs, thighs and arms, as well as developing an arched back, all essential for a great backstroke start.

How to prevent slipping in backstroke?

To prevent slipping, swimmers must pay attention to the way they pull their body up to the block, the position of their feet on the pool wall and the way that they drive off the pool wall.

Why do swimming pools have backstroke wedges?

Some pools, usually at swimming championships, have the luxury of a backstroke wedge, which significantly reduces the chances of a swimmer slipping off the pool wall. These may be too expensive for some swimming clubs to use as a part of their swimming programme.

How deep should a swimmer start backstroke?

Coach Arthur says: “Safety First: If you are coaching younger or inexperienced swimmers, they should perform backstroke starts in deeper water (ideally 6 feet/2 metres) to ensure they don’t hit their head on the pool bottom”.

How to get rid of a pool wall?

Driving off the pool wall by powerfully extending their toes, legs and hips. Throwing their head backwards. Pushing off with their arms by flinging them backwards into a tight streamlined position. Adopting an arched back to facilitate a clean entry into the water.

Is backstroke easy?

The biggest mental hurdle to overcome is the perception that backstroke is “the easy stroke.” Frequently used as the default stroke for cooling down, stretching out, or catching your breath after butterfly during IMs, backstroke suffers from a recovery mindset. But if you want to race backstroke, you’ll have to learn to deal with some serious suffering.

What is a backstroke kick?

A propulsive backstroke kick starts from a strong core and travels in a wavelike motion through the hips, quads, shins, and feet. 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 should kick a significant part of each workout and consistently focus on driving their legs from their abdominal muscles in coordination with body rotation and hip flexion.

How to swim backstroke fast?

To swim backstroke fast, you must work hard during backstroke sets. If you can breathe easily, it’s not intense enough. 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.

How to control strokes?

Your skin and muscles have built-in sensors that provide plenty of feedback about where you are and how much pressure the water exerts. Tune into these sensations to develop awareness of the following: 1 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. Lock in that sensation, and then monitor your stroke to ensure consistency. 2 Head position—Focus your senses on the top of your head to feel the water’s surface. If the water line moves up and down as you swim, you’re bouncing, which indicates that your arms are pushing down on the water instead of back. Make corrections until you remain level. 3 Feet—The depth of your toes provides feedback on your overall posture. If your tootsies are dragging along 27 inches beneath the surface, you must be arched or at an angle that creates speed-killing resistance. You should feel the upstroke of your kick coming right to the surface to make the water appear to boil. 4 Obstacles—The wake caused by your body bounces off the lane ropes and exerts additional pressure against your shoulders when you’re too close to the ropes. Your hands can sense the kick of other circle swimmers during your catch. Most people don’t pay attention to these turbulence pressures, but learning to sense them pays off in straighter swimming and collision avoidance.

What is recovery in swimming?

The term “recovery” has two distinct meanings in swimming: 1 The phase of a stroke that repositions body parts after the power (propulsion) phase to establish proper position to begin the next stroke 2 The time allowed for the body to replenish and rebuild itself after exercise

How to swim with one arm?

Reach straight up with one arm, and then bend at the elbow to bring the palm of that hand to touch the center of your upper back (or your neck or the back of your head, depending on flexibility.) Your bicep will be near your ear and your elbow near the top of your head. Hold your arm in that position while swimming regular backstroke with only your opposite arm. Use fins to help maintain momentum between strokes.