**Fighting Athletic Instinct – Backstroke**

This week we explore things you might be doing in backstroke that feel productive (or that make you feel more secure or that you’re swimming “pretty”) but that might be holding you back.

**Monday**

**Back Drill: Overreach Fix with Video**

In their search to grab the most water and exert the most force in their pull, many swimmers overreach. Here’s how to fix the #1 technique flaw in backstroke.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2380-overreach-fix-with-video> 

:06 - crossing over

:27 - tell the swimmer to move the arms out

:41 - film - either over top or at the end

:49 - hands have moved out

:52 - move to land and have the swimmer show you the entry point feel

1:01 - better after land exercise

**Tuesday**

**Haufler Back: Mistake #2 – Moving the Head**

Moving the head from side to side in backstroke can feel productive, but it’s extra exertion with no benefit – and can actually hinder your efforts to go fast. Steve Haufler has some fixes.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1282-mistake-2-moving-the-head> 

:07 - rolling the head

:18 - opposite rolling focusing on the shoulder exit

:25 - leaning to one side

:32 - the head

:44 - small mirror

:56 - look down the recovering arm

1:00 - look up at the recovering hand

1:05 - the rope

1:21 - the cup

**Wednesday**

**Back Drill: Shoulder Recovery – Bonus Edition**

Plowing (or ploughing) the shoulders through the water can feel good because it feels like *work.* It can also feel *comfortable* because it keeps you securely on your back. Fight these instincts with clean shoulder rotation.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1879-backstroke-shoulder-recovery-bonus-edition>

:22 - clean shoulder exit

:39 - great rotation

:48 - stable head

1:11 - Extreme rotation

1:37 - face and eyes under

2:16 - right shoulder out

2:18 - left shoulder a little lower

**Thursday**

**Aaron Peirsol: Perpendicular Pull**

The desire to feel a strong pull leads many swimmers to pull with a straight arm and a wide sweep to the side. A bent-arm pull, demo’d by backstroke legend Aaron Peirsol, shows a better way.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/210-perpendicular-pull> 

:11 - just like pulling on the lane line

:15 - pretty much straight back

:29 - hand nearly immediately pushing back

1:06 - a break in the wrist to get the palm perpendicular 

1:49 - articulated wrist - looks like freestyle

1:55 - play at .2x - palm always facing back

**Friday**

**Glenn Endless Pool: Backstroke Recovery**

Keep the shoulders clean on the recovery, but also focus on clean hand exits and entries. Glenn demo’s “thumb out…pinky in.”

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3257-backstroke-recovery> 

1:47 - starts the swimming

1:49 - thumb out - switch - pinky in

2:12 - by increasing water speed, it’s harder to pause

2:30 - faster still

**Saturday**

**Eric Shanteau: Backstroke Arm Action**

In backstroke, the instinct to “swim pretty” can hold you back. Eric Shanteau talks about not letting the hands get stuck at any point in the stroke cycle.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/726-backstroke-arm-action> 

:28 - hands sit on surface

:43 - left hand enters sharp

:44 - right hand falls a bit softer

1:07 - hips and shoulders drive into the catch

1:13 - engage the obliques

**Sunday**

**Bindy Hocking: Backstroke Turns**

Do you sight the wall and glide into your backstroke turns? It’s a natural instinct to be safe and secure, but it can hold you back! Australian backstroker Bindy Hocking shows how to overcome those unhelpful instincts.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1838-bindy-hocking-backstroke-turns> 

:51 - no looking up

1:18 - no looking up 

Bonus:

For clean shoulder recovery:

Ash Delaney: Body Rotation Above Water

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1714-backstroke-body-rotation-above-water>

Kicking with legs too low in backstroke might feel like you’re doing “good work,” but really slows you down. Learn to have a productive bodyline by kicking on your back.

Rohan Taylor: Streamline Kick on Your Back

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1884-streamline-kick-on-your-back>

Chat:

12:12:24 From Berrin Yavuzer To Glenn Mills(privately) : He is in Glenn 🙂

12:13:32 From Ruth Cheung : I love the cup drill

12:15:10 From William Park ChPC To Glenn Mills(privately) : Ya go Blue great teaching Glenn. Bloody blue awesome. Sorry I got to go. Stay safe n have fun. Ⓜ️

12:26:01 From Monty Krieger : his and seems to push downward at the end of the pull!

12:26:42 From Monty Krieger : do you recommend the push down at the end?

12:29:37 From Josh Willer : Some video I like to show too if you have Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxsqPt8tIDq/?igshid=dzd2azNzZHV3b3Q0

12:30:10 From veronique borges : That’s why they call it front crawl and back crawl: 2 sides of the same coin

12:35:59 From Melinda Wolff To Glenn Mills(privately) : My shoulders hurt just watching these backstrokers and their deep catch!

12:43:16 From Cindy Dyer : Do they go on the side then back to her back before the surface?

12:44:00 From Kimberly Goodell : is there a risk of the ref calling that sideways kick for a DQ?

12:47:24 From Paul Howard : What is the maximum angle for the fish kick.

12:47:56 From Lara Nortje : Hi from South Africa. 

Sorry, not a question on side ways dolphin but I have a swimmer whose upper body bounces in & out the water when he does backstroke, how do I get him to stop?

12:48:38 From helen naylor : work on roll!

12:48:48 From Monty Krieger To Glenn Mills(privately) : That was exactly my answer to Lara - do breastroke

12:49:01 From Lara Nortje : He loves breaststroke so it’s a problem, his roll is lovely but he still bounces🤦‍♀️

12:49:37 From Barbara Hummel : Lara, I usually find that backstrokers who bounce have a straight-arm pull. I try to get them to use a bent-arm pull

12:50:09 From Rich LeDuc : Thanks everyone. I have to go to another meeting…

12:52:17 From Kimberly Goodell : I have a backstroke bouncer too - 2 bounces per arm stroke! Cup drill fixes it temporarily... but I think it's coming from an arc in his underwater pull.

12:52:23 From Robin McQuinn : Bouncy backstrokers try to power the stroke with breast/fly muscles?

12:52:30 From Melinda Wolff : I would say maybe Lara's swimmer needs to focus on pressing his back into the water all the time, throughout his stroke.

12:53:02 From Lara Nortje To Glenn Mills(privately) : That’s exactly it

12:53:16 From Monty Krieger : his bent knees look like they contribute to his bounce

12:53:24 From Robin McQuinn : Abs trying to power pull?

12:53:44 From Josh Willer : 👍

12:54:08 From Julie Phillips : it's like a backstroke loper

12:54:19 From Mike Koleber : Reacted to "it's like a backstro…" with 👍

12:54:31 From Mike Koleber : Reacted to "his bent knees look …" with 👍

12:54:44 From Mike Koleber : Reacted to "I would say maybe La…" with 👍

12:54:51 From Mike Koleber : Reacted to "Bouncy backstrokers …" with 👍

12:55:04 From Mike Koleber : Reacted to "I have a backstroke …" with 👍

12:55:05 From Lara Nortje : Thank you so much, I think he is trying to over power pull because his mother is all about speed not technique and it’s a constant argument between us

12:55:23 From Mike Koleber : Reacted to "Thank you so much, I…" with 😂

13:01:35 From veronique borges : Hello from San Francisco! Like the song says if you come to San Francisco… come see me Vee Bee. I teach private and Go TV is my religion! Thanks Glen and all swimming peeps ☺️

13:02:07 From veronique borges : To teach the paddle concept you can use a drumstick or hockey stick

13:02:34 From Mark Hesse : Reacted to "Thank you so much, I..." with 👍

13:06:34 From Kimberly Goodell : some of my top freestylers' hips sway too...could it be the same principle?

13:07:34 From Monty Krieger To Glenn Mills(privately) : how to get a masters swimmer to rotate? Tricks?

13:09:09 From Mike Koleber : Replying to "some of my top frees…"

Eddie has narrowed his lane lines before to about 18” or so— and had his guys do freestyle — where they HAVE to swim on their line. Reduced hip sway.

13:11:31 From Mark Hesse : Replying to "some of my top frees..."

the timing of the rotation is different in free and back so the sway would be too late a rotation in free

13:11:41 From helen naylor : They need to go down and back on same laneline to balance stroke

13:12:05 From Ruth Cheung : thanks!!!

13:12:07 From Monty Krieger To Glenn Mills(privately) : thank you

13:12:09 From Lara Nortje : Thank you so much!

13:12:11 From Mia Johnson : Bye!


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Nov. 14, 2023 - Backstroke Instinct Zoom