**Summer Swim Camp Session 4: Backstroke Starts**

No one, and we mean NO ONE, was born doing a backstroke start. To teach it – and to learn it – you need patience, flexibility, and a big tool bag of drills and progressions.

**Monday**

**Connor Oslin: Backstroke Wedge Start**

Connor Oslin demo’s where’s where we’re headed when teaching the backstroke start.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2755-backstroke-wedge-start>

0456 set the wedge of the waterline

0930 place the balls of your feet toward the top of the wedge

1214 feel the grip with your toes

1401 draw the body up

1445 throw the arms back

1450 Dr. with the legs

1508 clean entry

2428 various types of wedges

4414 draw up keeping the hips as high as possible

4559 Connor does not throw his head back

4721 more horizontal than up 

12204 hands and feet are barely touching

12246 clean entry

**Tuesday**

**Connor Oslin: Backstroke Start**

Here’s what a well-executed backstroke start looks like from below the surface.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2307-preview-backstroke-start>

0524 hips are completely out of the water

0915 clean entry 

1219 very narrow

2111 piercing entry

2220 piercing entry rigid body line

2421 initiating the dolphin

3211 toes over the edge not legal but practice

3615 legs horizontal to the water

3627 legs and feet follow through a single hole

**Wednesday**

**Steve Haufler: Go Swim Backstroke**

Steve Haufler uses a 5-step progression for teaching the backstroke start. 1) Dryland positioning, 2) Guided backwards surface dive in the water, 3) Proper placement of feet, hands, and hips, 4) How to “take your mark,” 5) How to launch.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1298-teaching-the-backstroke-start>

0422 what we're trying to avoid

1419 dryland streamline with arch

4717 dryland streamline with arch and leg kick

5007 assisted back streamline

5923 assisted back streamline 

10612 make sure the swimmer is blowing air out of the nose

12111 place the feet hands and hips

12519 backstroke ready position

13127 get the feet high on the wall toes may break the surface

14004 hands positioned at shoulder width

15106 don't stay in this position for too long

**15814 heels are away from the wall**

20210 staggered feet

21215 Full body alignment hands to feed

22026 Head is relaxed and neutral

22723 take your mark

**23316 the catapult**

24611 elbows are away from the body

25417 do not let the knees separate

25914 Press the chest toward the knees

30114 the armpits are over the knees

30707 get ready to push with the palms

31028 push with the hands

**31619 the traditional start**

32118 eyes look at the handles

32813 hips, under the shoulders

**33717 Japanese start**

34312 back is flat leaning slightly away from the wall

34902 eyes are looking slightly upward

35727 hips are slightly closer to the wall than the shoulders

40605 hands are holding on

41901 tap the swimmers lower back with the noodle

42506 move the noodle slightly back

42605 have the swimmer launch over the noodle

43400 throwing the head back to arch the back

43827 throwing the head back

43922 diving over the noodle

44800 remove the noodle

44921 Head back

45011 looking toward the other end

45116 getting the legs up

51905 kick the legs up

52625 have the legs follow the rest of the body through a single hole

53214 kick the legs up

55327 Seat drop

**Thursday**

**Cullen Jones: Backstroke Start**

Cullen Jones helps us drill deeper into how to place the feet, hands, and hips for a powerful start and clean entry.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/954-backstroke-start>

0304 arched back

1229 heels off the wall in the start position

3111 staggered feet

4813 start position

11705 first move is the head

12521 first is head then throwing the arms as the legs drive

14420 wrapping the toes to get just a little extra height for a cleaner entry

20528 need to kick the legs up sooner

22210 wrapping the toes to teach the proper entry

24803 kicking the feed up

**Friday**

**Masters: Backstroke – Start Drill**

Here’s how to add some fun (and skill!) to your teaching progression for the backstroke start.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1605-backstroke-start-drill>

0307 High Drive off-the-wall

0316 V seated entry

0508 Toes out but not wrapped

0621 big launch

0701 V up seated entry

1015 working on getting the feed up

1720 toes are not out

1811 seated entry

2204 amazing athleticism

2600 take it to a start

**Saturday**

**Aaron Peirsol: Start**

Here’s backstroke legend Aaron Peirsol doing the same drill, but progressing it to an actual backstroke start. The goal: hips clear the surface, to achieve a cleaner entry.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/215-aaron-start>

0412 seeded entry practice

3520 first move is the head

3529 slight push with the hands

3611 Throwing the arms over and looking to the other end

3622 feed up and going through the same hole as the body

4912 same start in slow motion

**Sunday**

**Ashley Delaney**

Australian Olympian Ash Delaney leaves us with images of what’s possible in a backstroke start. The quickness and precision are things to emulate.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1528-backstroke-start-above-water-full-speed>

0227 first moves with the head

0303 flat wall heels in the water

0312 eyes do not look at the other end

0321 legs kick up

0611 streamline entry

0617 lex kick up

0912 legs kick up

1210 wider grasp on the block

1228 see the hand push

1604 intensity


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Aug. 20, 2024 - Backstroke Starts - What We Taught at Summer Camp