Backstroke - Basics with Steve Haufler

**Additional Drills for Teaching Bent-Arm Pull
Look-and-See Drill**

The Look-and-See Drill is most effective with older novice swimmers because we ask the swimmer to roll their face into the water to watch their pull. Two things are important for the swimmer to know.

First, the swimmer must understand she won’t do this in regular backstroke. With really young swimmers this may cause some bad habits with head movement.

Second, the swimmer must know and remember what a correct pull looks like so that they can self-correct while swimming. The swimmer needs to know what to look for…palm facing back, thumb high, and a high-elbow catch.

It’s a good idea to watch some DVDs of world-class backstrokers before doing this drill.

I use only single-arm backstroke for this drill. She watches her recovery and then follows her hand into the water with her eyes by turning her face to the side and into the water.

It helps to blow bubbles out your nose.

The swimmer can watch every stroke or alternate one stroke watching…and one stroke NOT watching and with the head in the proper position.

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Look-and-See Drill