PE 4 – NOTES IN SWIMMING MIDTERM
Paris Olympics men's 200 meter.
Back Stroke
 In a competitive swimming, there are four recognized
styles of swimming, of which the fastest is the front
crawl. The others are backstroke, breaststroke, and
butterfly. There are also events in which all four styles
are combined in one race, known as individual medley.
So, it is very important to know all these swimming
styles. What is emphasized in this presentation is the
backstroke.
 Backstroke is like swimming the front crawl, but on the
back. In early days, like all stroke developments,
backstroke grew from the breaststroke with the
swimmer carrying his arms upward and backward
simultaneously and kicking his legs in an inverted frog-
like action. This style is often called the “Old English”
backstroke.
 There have been various techniques for the under-
water pull and much depends upon the flexibility of the
shoulder of the individual. Almost all backstroke styles
include an arm bend at some stage in the pull,
generally near the beginning.
 Backstroke is the only one of the four modern styles in
which the competitor starts in the water. He must stay
on his back throughout the race, except at the turns.
There, having touched the end of the bath while on his
back, he may move from this position to make a
somersault turn, provided he has turned on his back
before his feet leave the wall.
 To be a successful competitor, it is not only necessary
to swim effectively, but also to gain the maximum
advantage from push away from the wall in the case of
backstroke.
 All types of swim strokes have five general
components: the arm stroke, the kick, the timing and
coordination of the body movements, the body position
relative to the surface of the water, and the breathing
rhythm.
 The backstroke is a swimming stroke performed with
the swimmer’s head and stomach facing upward in the
water. The stroke is alternately windmill type of motion
with each arm, as the swimmer drives his/her body
forward with a flutter kick. (Lerner, 2007)
History of Backstroke
 Backstroke is an ancient style of swimming, who owes
most of what it has to Harry Hebner. It was the second
stroke to be swum in competitions after the front crawl.
The first Olympic backstroke competition was the 1900
 Backstroke is the only regulated swimming style that
is swum on the back, making it the easiest stroke in
which to breathe. The Olympics of 1900 held the first
backstroke competition race, which was the first
Olympics right after swimming was introduced. The
kick of the backstroke is the same as the
freestyle. Backstroke and freestyle are the only two
strokes that rotate the body from side to side, causing
somewhat of a skating motion.
Speed and Ergonomics
 Backstroke has a similar speed to butterfly. Race times
for the butterfly are superior to those for the backstroke
mostly because the former allows a racing start from
poolside and the latter does not. In races beyond 200
meters, backstroke would actually be the faster of the
two, though it mainly depends on the stamina of the
swimmer as well as technique. The maximum
swimming speed for backstroke is around 1.89 meter
per second. Due to its position on the back, backstroke
uses some different muscles in the upper body than
other styles.
Arm Movement
 In backstroke, the arms contribute most of the forward
movement. The arm stroke consists of two main parts:
the power phase (consisting of three separate parts)
and the recovery. The arms alternate so that always
one arm is underwater while the other arm is
recovering. One complete arm turn is considered one
cycle. From the initial position, one arm sinks slightly
under water and turns the palm outward to start the
Catch phase (first part of the power phase). The hand
enters downward (pinkie finger first) then pulling out at
a 45 degree angle, catching the water.
 During the power phase the hand follows a semi-
circular path from the Catch to the side of the hip. The
palm is always facing away from the swimming
direction, while remaining straight as an extension of
the arm, and the elbow always points downward
towards the bottom of the pool. This is done so that
both the arms and the elbow can push the maximum
amount of water back in order to push the body
forward. At the height of the shoulders, the upper and
lower arms should have their maximum angle of about
90 degrees. This is called the Mid-Pull of the power
phase.
1
 The Mid-Pull phase consists of pushing the palm of the
hand as far down as possible with the fingers pointing
upward. Again, the goal is to push the body forward
against the water. At the very end of the Mid-Pull, the
palm flaps down for a last push forward down to a
depth of 45 cm, creating the Finish of the Power phase.
Besides pushing the body forward, this also helps with
the rolling back to the other side as part of the body
movement. During the power phase, the fingers of the
hand can be slightly apart, as this will increase the
resistance of the hand in the water due to turbulence.
 To prepare for the recovery phase, the hand is rotated
so that the palms point towards the legs and the thumb
side points upwards. At the beginning of the recovery
phase of the one arm, the other arm begins its power
phase. The recovering arm is moved in a semicircle
straight over the shoulders to the front. During this
recovery, the palm rotates so that the small finger
enters the water first, allowing for the least amount of
resistance, and the palms point outward. After a short
gliding phase, the cycle repeats with the preparation
for the next power phase.
 A variant is to move both arms synchronized and not
alternating, similar to an upside down butterfly stroke.
This is easier to coordinate, and the peak speed during
the combined power phase is faster, yet the speed is
much slower during the combined recovery. The
average speed will usually be less than the average
speed of the alternating stroke.
 Another variant is the old style of swimming
backstroke, where the arm movement formed a
complete circle in a windmill type pattern. However,
this style is not commonly used for competitive
swimming, as a lot of energy is spent on pushing the
body up and down instead of forward. Furthermore, the
added strain on the shoulder is considered less than
ideal and can lead to injuries.
 It is also possible to move only one arm at a time,
where one arm moves through the power and recovery
phases while the other arm rests. This is slow, but it is
used frequently to teach students the movement, as
they have to concentrate on only one arm.
Leg Movement
 The leg movement in backstroke is similar to the flutter
kick in front crawl. They make a large contribution to
the forward speed, yet are very significant for
stabilizing the body.
 The leg stroke is also alternating, with one leg sinking
down straight to about 30 degrees out of the horizontal.
From this position, the leg makes a fast kick upward,
slightly bending the knee at the beginning and then
stretching it again in the horizontal. However, there are
also frequent variants with four or only two kicks per
cycle. Usually, sprinters tend to use 6 kicks per cycle,
whereas long distance swimmer may use fewer.
 It is also possible to use a butterfly kick, although this
is rare except the butterfly kick after the start and the
turns. This dolphin kick is essential for many top
athletes because it is the fastest part of the race. It may
also constitute the majority of the race (i.e., in the 100
yard backstroke the swimmer may kick underwater
dolphin for 15 yards per length which equates to as
much as 60 yards kicking in a 100 yd race) A great
example of this is Olympic gold medallist Natalie
Coughlin.
 Breaststroke kicks are most comfortable if the arms are
used synchronized, as the breaststroke kick has
difficulty to compensate for a rolling movement due to
alternating arm cycles. The butterfly kick can be done
slightly to one side depending on the rolling of the
body.
Breathing
 Breathing in backstroke is easier than in other strokes,
as the mouth and nose are usually over water.
Competitive swimmers breathe in through the mouth
during the recovery of one arm, and breathe out
through the mouth and nose during the pull and push
phase of the same arm. This is done to clear the nose
of water. However, some backstrokers face the
problem of splash on their faces due to surface tension
that clings to their arms as they exit the water.
Body Movement
 Due to the asynchronous movement of the arms, there
is a roll of the body around its own axis. This is normal
and helps swimming effectively. The overall position of
the body is straight in the horizontal to reduce drag.
Beginners frequently let their posterior sink too low and
increase drag. To avoid this, the upper legs have to be
moved to the extreme down position at each kick even
with a little help by the back and the foot tips have to
be fixed in the extreme lower position and the head is
held out of the water to act as a counter-weight.
Parallels between Backstroke and the Crawl
 The backstroke often follows the crawl when various
strokes are taught to a new swimmer. The reasons is
that two strokes are very much alike. In fact, the
2
 backstroke has often been called an “upside down
crawl”. Though it is swam with the swimmer on his back
in the water, his arms and leg actions are similar to
those in the crawl.
Learning the Backstroke
A. Breathing
Because the swimmer is on his back, breathing
during backstroke is not really a problem. Anyone
wanting to try the backstroke should know how to
float on his back. That way, he’ll be able to relax
more and have the confidence to go ahead and
learn the new stroke.
B. Leg Kick
As with the crawl, the kick for the backstroke is
started by the hips. The backstroke is mainly done
under the water. Only the toes of the feet may
break the surface of the water.
C. Knee Action
The downward action of the feet in the backstroke
kick requires a bit more bending of the knee.
D. Body Position
This is similar to the flashing position. The hips
should be held near the surface of the water with
the bend back, submerged up to the ears, and the
black is slightly arched.
E. Arm Action
Body arms work opposite each other. That is, one
is at the top of the stroke, while the other is at the
bottom.
Backstroke Techniques (Gutman, 1990)
 The stroke begins with the hips near the surface of the
water and the head back. When one arm is at the top
of the stroke, the other is at the bottom. The arm is
straight when it enters the water above the head.
 As the swimmer strokes, a flutter kick is used, similar
to the crawl.
 As the first arm is halfway through the stroke and ready
to begin pushing the water, the second arm is out of
the water in the recovery phase. The feet continues to
flutter kick for the entire stroke.
 The first arm has just completed the pushing part of the
stroke as the other arm enters the water over the
swimmer’s head.
Drills for Backstroke (Gambrill, 1973)
A. Side Kicking
 This kick gives the swimmer a chance to develop
a “fluid motion” kick. The side kick appears to be a
green switch waving through the water. It seems
to be involved with the natural talent some
swimmers have, which we can describe as “feel
for the water”.
B. Backstroke Kicking
 We speak of the kick as a relaxed football kick. We
tell the swimmer to concentrate on the down kick
and the depth of the heel. The kick downward
starts with a straight leg, and the knee gently
bends on the downward kick.
 The kick is very important to the backstroker, and
he must develop this as much as possible. This is
the drill that will help on the muscle overload
principle, and must not be neglected.
 Kicking lengths with one arm overhead in the
water and the other end at a ninety-degree angle
out of the water is a good drill to overload the kick.
If the swimmer has a very strong kick, he can hold
both arms out of the water midway through the
recovery. This is a good drill to see how strong the
kick actually is.
Backstroke Start
 According to short-course rules, as long as some
part of the body touches the water, the backstroke
is in legal starting position.
 The most popular backstroke start for short-
course swimming is with the toes at the gutter. The
swimmer grasps the backstroke hand grips or the
slit cut in the starting block for this purpose. The
hand tilts toward between the knees. On the sound
of the gun, the backstroker pushes away with the
hands, throwing the head backward and driving off
the gutter with the legs. The swimmer remains in
an extended streamlined position under water.
Common Mistakes
 Caution must be taken not to arch the back too
much, or the angle of entry will take the swimmer
too deep.
 Another problem comes from letting the hips drag
through the water or the start, before the hands,
arms, and head have reached the water.
Backstroke Turn
 The swimming in which expert turning is most
important are the backstroke and breaststroke.
The most difficult turn to perfect is the backstroke
turn. The element that makes this turn more
3
 difficult is the lack of vision as one approaches the
turn.
Two Types of Turns
1. Open Turn
 The first step should begin with the swimmer
facing the wall; both hands are on the gutter and
both feet are against the wall, with the knees
drawn up toward the chest. At this point, he ducks
under water, extends his arms over his head, and
pushes off under the water. The swimmer should
still be under water as he takes the first pull off the
wall.
 The next step is to have the swimmer into the wall
with one arm extended overhead, the other at the
hip. The swimmer should alternate hands every
time he comes in, until he can turn at ease with
either hand.
2. Tumble Turn
 In learning the backstroke tumble, it is very
important to have proper body position before
turning action begins. Step one is similar to
open turn. As the hand makes contact with
the wall, the fingers are pointed toward the
bottom with the palm touching flat against the
wall. The head is back, not bowed forward.
 As the hand becomes firm against the wall,
the elbow bends lightly, then is extended, to
aid in the spinning action. The hand at the hip
is used for support and backs water during the
turning action. The push off is not different
from that used in the open turn.
Performing the Stroke
 Of course, the best way to judge if you are stroking
correctly is to be watched by a good coach. You can
also practice your strokes on dry land just to get an idea
of the motion. This can easily be done for both the
crawl and backstroke by lying on a narrow bench.
Great Swimmers – Backstroke
1. Mark Tewksbury
A Canadian swimmer best known for winning the gold
medal in the 100 metres backstroke at the 1992 Summer
Olympics.
2. Emanuele Merisi
A former Italian professional swimmer, specialized in
backstroke, who won a bronze medal in 1996 Summer
Olympics.
3. Lenny Krayzelburg
The first swimmer since 1986 to sweep the backstroke
events, 100m and 200m, in the World Championships, setting
the clock on 53.60 and 1.55.87, respectively. He has then
recognized as the top backstroke swimmer in the world.
4. Kirsty Conventry
A Zimbabwean swimmer who won gold in both 100m and
200m backstroke (women) at the 2005 World Championships in
Montreal.
5. Laure Manaudou
She won a bronze at the women’s 100m backstroke at the
2004 Athens Olympics. She became only the second
Frenchwoman to win 3 medals in a single Summer/Winter
Olympics.
6. Thomas Rupprath
2004 FINA Short Course World Championship gold
medalist for 50m Men’s backstroke event with time record of
23.51.
7. Aaron Piersol
2004 FINA Short Course World Championship gold
medalist for both 100m and 200m Men’s backstroke events.
8. Matt Welsh
2002 FINA Short Course World Championship gold
medalist for both 50m and 100m Men’s backstroke events.
 Swimming is a technique to move unaided through
water. It is a popular recreational activity and
competitive sport. There are many health benefits of
swimming (Kumar, 2006).
 As you learn this new swimming stroke, you will come
to enjoy aquatic mobile activities in a new avenue.
Once again, the early swimming lessons will come
back as an advantage.