Backstroke Revolution 2011

8/18/2019 Backstroke Revolution 2011

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The USA

Backstroke

Revolution

USA Swimming Sports Performance

National Team & Club Development

Missy Franklin

Natalie Coughlin Beisel & Pelton

Ryan Lochte

Matt Grevers

Nick Thoman

Mainstream Backstroke Teaching

• Is the best technique being emphasized?

– Two common points of emphasis are:

• Deep catch

– Dig deep upon arm entry to find the “still” water

– Then pull up and finish down

– Bernoulli-based propulsion (lift)

• Rotation

– Swim on your side, rotate as much as possible

– Generate velocity/power through constant hip rotation

The Foundation

• Best head position:

– Extended neck line and slight head tilt• A relaxed position in the arms and shoulders!

• Arms and shoulders can move about very freely

• Best body position with rounded back and hips at surface

Head and Body Position

Good (extended)

The Foundation

Frontal Resistance


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The Foundation

• Don’t push the head toofar back – Not relaxed in the neck

and shoulders – Arched back and hips low

– Legs are restricted

The Foundation

• The legs areCRUCIAL to body

position

• The legs also impact:

– Rotation

– Distance per cycle

Kicking!!

The Arm Stroke Rotation

• Path of the arm stroke

• Amount of rotation

• Timing of the rotation

Backstroke Arm Stroke

Moving Forward

Anchor the arm as early as possible


Moving Forward

• Keep the arm anchored throughout the arm stroke – Path of hand should be flat –

Palm and forearm should always be facing back – Fingers should be pointed toward the side


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A deep catch?

• A deep catch is both inefficient and weak –

Pushes downward with hand/arm before pushing back – Arm is in a relatively weak position behind the body


• From a front view… – The arm is strongest when it remains to the side of the

body and connected to the core

• Arm should be at a natural angle relative to the body – Not over reaching behind the back

• Shoulder angle depends on flexibility, but should normally beabout 170-180º


Rotation

• The magnitude of rotation is dictated by thedepth of the arm stroke

– If not rotating to get a deep catch, there is noneed to rotate a lot

– This lends to faster tempo.

• Rotate just enough to get the ideal catch andfor the shoulder of the recovering arm toclear the surface

How much??

• Hand depth ≈ 8-12 inches below the surface• Shoulder angle ≈ 170-180º• Elbow bend ≈ 120º

• Rotation angle ≈ 30-40º

Rotation

Our best backstrokers rotate in the range of: 30º ± 10º

Elizabeth Beisel

Lauren English

Natalie Coughlin Leila Vaziri


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Our best backstrokers rotate in the range of: 30º ± 10º

Peter Marshall Aaron Peirsol Michael Phelps

Rotation myths

• Rotating all the way onto the side does not reduce drag any more

than a 30º rotation.

• Rotating during the arm stroke does not increase arm propulsion

(unlike freestyle rotation). – In backstroke, if rotation occurs during the arm stroke, the body rotates

away from the arm, creating a weaker stroke

– In freestyle, the body rotates toward the arm stroke which supports the arm

propulsion.

Klete KellerAaron Peirsol

Rotation Timing

• Rotating too much puts the swimmer in a situation where they willbe rotating against the strongest part of the arm stroke

• In order to get the most out of the arm stroke, minimal rotationshould occur between the catch and finish

Rotation Timing

Rotating Timing

• Rotation should be quick and snappy

• Rotation should be connected to boththe finish and entry of the stroke!!

• The combination of those two

movements (downward push &

dynamic entry) will get the hips over as

quickly as possible

A Common Rotation Flaw

• Many swimmers rely on the shoulder to rotate

• Not using the entry/finish combination… – Can result in a slow, late rotation

– Can result in entering while still rotated to theopposite side• That, in turn, can result in entering with the back of the

hand or entering too narrow

• The entry, finish, and rotation must be dynamic

– It cannot be slow and lazy


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Shoulder rotation

Backstroke Drills

• Six kicks per side

–

Teaches connecting the rotation properly• Double arm

– Teaches wide shallow stroke

• One arm backstroke

– Be careful because it relies partly on a shoulder rotation

• Drills that exaggerate the rotation

– Can teach balance in the water, but be careful of how ittranslates to whole stroke

Kayak Drill Double Arm

Backstroke Drills

• Surgical tubing extended from above

– Can teach the proper arm mechanics and helpstrengthen all the right muscles

Back Drill – Catch Position


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Backstroke Summary

• Head position: Relaxed; slightly tilted with

extended neck

• Body position: Rounded back, not arched

• Arm stroke: Early, shallow catch with

hand/arm at side and always pushing back

• Rotation: Quick and tight occurring in

conjunction with the entry and finish

nt r sting…

The very best haven’t changed much

Backstroke Finish Backstroke Finish

Backstroke turn

• Take advantage of 2nd to last arm stroke! – Carry more speed into the wall – Roll over sooner and take a freestyle stroke

– Adjustments:• Start turn further away from the wall• Hold breath for a little longer

Backstroke turn


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Backstroke Turn Dolphin Kick

• The power from the kick comes from the

legs (quads), and stabilized by the core

• Knees must bend to set-up the kick

• Follow through and finish the kick in front

of the body

Dolphin Kick: Hips/body

• Aim to minimize hip movement, purely so

the kick moves the body forward, not up or

down

• Upper body movement varies among the

best

– Nearly everyone has a distinct “stretch” with the

upper body at the finish of each kick

Dolphin Kick: Back v. Front

• Kicking on your back is much easier to have

good technique because the up-kick keeps

the swimmer underwater.

• Kicking on your stomach, the down-kick

pushes the swimmer toward the surface. In

order to stay underwater, the optimal

technique for speed is compromised with a

lot of hip movement.

Dolphin Kick: Tempo

• Looking at 9 of the best dolphin kickers over

18 races, the average tempo of their kicks offthe start is between 0.37 – 0.47 seconds per

kick

– Crocker, Pelton, Grevers, Phelps, Coughlin, Thoman, Lochte, Irie (JPN), Shields

• In the future: larger sample, differentiate by

stroke, gender, 100/200 event, start v. turn

Backstroke Kickouts


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Backstroke: 15m Stats

Athlete Time # kicks b/o dist strokes

Coughlin (11 Worlds f) 6.8 11 14.75 0

Zhao (11 Worlds f) 6.9 11 14.50 1

Coughlin (11 Worlds r) 6.9 12 14.75 0

Coughlin (11 Worlds sf) 6.9 11 14.50 1

Seebohm (11 Worlds) 7.1 11 14.00 1

Terakawa (11 Worlds) 7.1 13 14.00 1

Koga (10 Pan Pacs) 6.0 10 14.00 1

Thoman (10 Pan Pacs) 6.1 11 14.00 1

Grevers (10 Austin GP) 6.2 9 14.00 1

Stravius (10 Euros) 6.2 -- 14.50 --

Peirsol (10 Nationals) 6.3 11 14.50 1

Lochte (10 Pan Pacs) 6.3 8 14.00 1

LaCourt (10 Euros) 6.3 9 13.50 1

GO USA!!!

Documents

Backstroke Revolution 2011