Backstroke - Bindy Hocking

Important Note to the Viewer

LESSONS: 9 VIDEOS

Bindy Hocking Backstroke Underwater Dolphin

Watch Bindy's underwater dolphin for backstroke. You'll notice that she leaves the wall, and spends much of her time directly on her side. She has an extremely tight streamline, and keeps her head and hands as still as possible as she kicks from her chest, abs, and thighs with the power snapping through the feet. Bindy uses nose clips to help her maintain her air for longer and more efficient underwater dolphins.

Bindy Hocking Backstroke Turns

Watch how accurate Bindy is on her count to the wall. See how her head snaps around at the last minute into the turn. She doesn't look directly at the wall, but down. There is very little time that she spends with the head down. Her overhead arm goes directly from the recovery, into a catch down position to lead the head and body down and around into an immediate turn. She leaves the wall at a downward angle for her long underwater dolphin kick.

Bindy Hocking Backstroke Body Rotation

Watch how Bindy's body rotates evenly to both sides, and has no up and down, or bouncing movement in her stroke.

Bindy Hocking Backstroke Head Position

Bindy's backstroke from the side underwater, with the focus on her head position. Notice how incredible little the head moves. It's very stable as the body rotates around for the catch, pull, recovery of the arms.

Bindy Hocking - Backstroke Hand Entry and Catch

It's obvious when watching Bindy's hand entry, one hand is a bit different than the other. What is also obvious, is that she gets a firm grab on the water to set up the catch. The left hand enters the water a bit more flat, with the top of the fingers entering first. The hand then extends, and rotates to an outward, press position. If you watch Bindy's pace 50, you'll notice this is the exact same movement she uses when she's a full race pace. The right hand enters in a more traditional pinky first position, then extends, and presses down into the catch. There is extreme extension to the catch on both sides, and you can feel the connection through the shoulders, lats, and into her torso. The rotation is enough that she doesn't have to hyperextend her shoulders to catch the water. The head position is solid and still.

Bindy Hocking - Pace 50 Back

Bindy swims a pace 50 back. This is short course meters, and the time is approximately 29.9. From the push off, everything is a bit more aggressive. The first kick on the underwater dolphin indicates there more intensity here. She gets out a bit further, but with a much more solid breakout. The stroke rate is higher, the kick is much more aggressive, the hands are entering faster and finishing faster, but the stroke is the same as on her first, slow 50. It's obvious she practices at slow speeds, what she uses at fast speeds.

Bindy Hocking - Up Tempo Pace 50 Back

Bindy swims a pace 50 back. This is short course meters, and the time is approximately 32.7. While still not completely race pace, Bindy starts to accelerate her hands through the finish with more snap. The rotation is still steady, and the rate of her stroke picks up a bit more. She continues to maintain all solid aspects of her stroke, from head to feet as in her other, slower, set up 50s. Her underwater dolphin is a bit more aggressive, but now about the same breakout position as her last 50.

Bindy Hocking - Medium Pace 50 Back

Bindy swims a slow, smooth pace 50 back. This is short course meters, and the time is approximately 35.3. This pace starts to warm her up a bit more for up tempo swimming, but still isn't near race pace. All the attributes of her backstroke stay in tact, from her hand entry, head position, shoulder rotation, hip rotation, and constant kick. It doesn't appear that the speed determines her technique, but the technique is set, and the speed is determined by the rate of stroke, and power applied during each stroke. The underwater dolphin starts to get longer.

Bindy Hocking - Smooth Pace 50 back

Bindy swims a slow, smooth pace 50 back. This is short course meters, and the time is approximately 39.8. This would be a smooth training pace for longer sets. She has great balance, good rotation, a steady head position, and a constant kick. Her underwater dolphin is shorter than when she's looking for higher speed.