Backstroke Technique Archive

Drilling – Scull vs. Paddle

Posted on May 19, 2010 | 3 Comments
Through one of our drill posts about the importance of sculling, we have driven a little bit of controversy regarding the proper way to teach a high catch. The lingering theory behind sculling is that it creates a delayed catch and therefore is not promoting...
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The Ben and Jerry’s of Swimming: Sculling

Posted on May 4, 2010 | 2 Comments
By popular request from a gathering of the local swim coaches, we will be taking a look at the wide world of sculling in this post. Like Ben and Jerry’s which has a plethora of ice cream flavors, swimming has almost an infinite way to...
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Eric Shanteau on GoSwim.tv

Posted on April 26, 2010 | No Comments
The IM’s are one of the trickiest races to truly master. In yesterday’s swimming world you could be a 3 stroke IM’er, but in today’s competitive atmosphere, you have to (as closely as possible) master all 4 strokes and fine tune three different turns and/or...
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Underwater Backstroke Kick with David Marsh and Nick Thoman

Posted on April 13, 2010 | No Comments
If you follow swimming closely, one name that will pop up during backstroke events is Nick Thoman. Nick has evolved into one of the premier backstrokers in the competitive world of swimming and David Marsh (in this video) takes us through his version of the...
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Backstroke Start: Nick Thoman

Posted on February 9, 2010 | 2 Comments
Nothing too in depth with this post, but I wanted to quickly share this video from USA Swimming. I will be showing my swimmers the video tonight because we have been looking for a decent backstroke start video for quite some time! David Marsh takes...
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Backstroke Drill: Windmill Drill

Posted on February 9, 2010 | 1 Comment
This is also known as the lawn-mower drill, helicopter drill, or anything else that involves something spinning rapidly in a circle. Backstroke is a tricky stroke. Technique is important, but moreso than any other stroke, the most important thing is kicking hard and moving your...
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Backstroke Drill: Partner Push

Posted on January 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
There are several drills that work on kick and pull, but very few that focus on body position and core stability. Here is a drill that works all three areas; just make sure that you’re wearing a cap and ready to have fun! Drill: Partner...
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Technique vs. Finishing The Set

Posted on January 20, 2010 | 5 Comments
In one of the forums that I regularly visit today there was a great question posed by one of the active members: Should I just finish the set or should I try to push my technique Before I get into my coaching banter, I have...
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Backstroke Drill: Double-Arm Backstroke

Posted on January 16, 2010 | No Comments
Double Arm Backstroke Explanation: This drill is best done originally with fins in order to maintain body position. When this drill is mastered with fins then swimmers can move on to no fins. The goal of this drill is to enforce a Y entry instead...
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