Common mistakes during the first upsweep in backstroke

We've already discussed the most common mistakes swimmers do during the entry (here) and first downsweep (here) of their armstroke in backstroke, so today it's time to talk about what backstrokers should try and avoid during the first upsweep of their armstroke. Some of the most common mistakes they make during the first upsweep are: pulling with a straight arm, sculling the hand vertically, and pushing up against the water with the palm of the hand.

• The most common mistake beginners do in this phase of the armstroke is to pull with a straight arm. This causes them to push water to the side for a good portion of the sweep. Swimmers must learn to bend the arm during the first downsweep so that they can execute the first upsweep with a flexed arm.
• The most common mistake that more experienced swimmers do is to scull the hand almost vertically upward. This mistake is also more likely to occur if swimmers make the catch with an extended or nearly extended arm. Making the catch in this manner and then flexing the arm during the first upsweep encourages them to scull vertically. The problem with this technique is that the arm may fail to press sufficiently backward against the water while it is sculling upward. More often, the backward velocity of the upper arm is slowed to nearly 0 and they sweep the hand and forearm up around it.
• Another mistake that all swimmers make is to push up against the water with the palm of their hand during this phase of the armstroke. When they do this mistake, they push water up much more than back and gain very little propulsion. One indication that they are making this mistake is that they pull the shoulder down into the water when they sweep the hand upward. The hand should be aligned with the forearm during the first upsweep and both should be facing back and pushing back against the water as the hand sweeps up and back.

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