Make the best out of your backstroke start

Just as with the forward start (see here), there are several kinds of backstroke starts. Three basic types are the traditional start, the newer Japanese start, and the catapult start. In the traditional start, the hips are close to the wall and the shoulders close to the block, so the torso is practically vertical and the knees are bent to an extreme. The Japanese start is characterized by the torso angling slightly away from the wall and the head leaning back; this is the quickest of the starts. In the catapult start, the hips are away from the wall, the knees are bent only to about 90 degrees, and the shoulders lean in close to the hands, so the torso is angled into the wall. The catapult start is better for age groupers because the pressure of the feet is directed horizontally into the wall.

As with forward starts, backstroke starts can be broken into a small number of skills. Practicing these skills helps swimmers become proficient and comfortable. The positioning on the blocks is important for leverage and power; you can hold your swimmers in the take-your-marks position to ensure that hands, feet, hips, shoulders, and heads are set correctly before you let them go.

When practicing the backstroke turn keep in mind the following tips:

• Plant your feet, toes dry. Thanks to the recent rule changes, swimmers can keep their toes above the surface of the water, but not curled over the lip of the gutter. The toes should be dry, with the feet as high as they are allowed to be. That way, the swimmer will apply pressure horizontally into the wall, aiding stability and power.
• Load the spring with hips away. On the command, “Take your marks”, the shoulders come in toward the block and the hips move away, with the knees bent at a right angle and the rear at the surface. The swimmer does not have to push his/her body up to get out of the water, so s/he doesn’t plow through the water on the start. The horizontal pressure into the wall moves the body horizontally backward, not up.
• Use the triple. Swimmers explode off the block horizontally backward with the hands first, then the head, and finally the legs. The torso is catapulted away from the wall. This three-part movement should happen seamlessly, smoothly, and powerfully.
• Arch and streamline. Swimmers should try to enter the water cleanly with the whole body entering through one hole, just as when doing a forward dive. Arching the back helps get the hips out of the water and allows a cleaner flight. As soon as the head enters, the chin is pulled to the chest so the swimmer doesn’t dive to the bottom.
• Use hyperspeed. Underwater dolphins should be small, tight, quick, and powerful so that the body maintains its streamlined posture. Just before the swimmer reaches the surface and begins to swim, s/he transitions from dolphins to flutter kicks.
• Break out. Simmers should surface horizontally with full forward movement. The first two breakout strokes must be powerful and should set the rhythm to the rest of the length.

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