Backstroke is a hip-driven long-axis rotation stroke
• Lean back into the stroke.
• Keep a neutral head and a long, straight neck in line with your spine.
• Move your balance point forward, to the back of your head, and lean on it.
• You are better balanced when your face is underwater.
• Put a little tension in your lower stomach so your aquatic line is straight.
• Swim slightly downhill.
• Hip rotation leads the stroke.
• Hip rotation must be fast to be effective.
• Hip rotation puts torque into the stroke.
• More torque is more distance per stroke.
• Like freestyle, swim around your long-axis.
• Hip-driven backstroke is not an opposition stroke.
• Torso rotation protects your shoulders.
• It keeps your elbows in front of your scapular plane (more about this later).
• The straight-arm recovery starts slowly and ends quickly.
• Thumb leads the recovery.
• Hands enter the water vertical, thumb first, close to your long-axis.
• Your shoulders should be in a natural position throughout the stroke.
• Rotate your hips, not your arms.
• Set the catch far out in front of you and swim past it.
• Your hands are anchors, not paddles.
• Swim as much backstroke as freestyle.
• You should be equally adept at both strokes.
Skills learned while swimming backstroke transfer to the other strokes
Skills like balance, posture, alignment, and fast hip rotation