and non-muscular nature of two-thirds of Ian Thorpe's stroke (the recovery and catch phases) adds to the endurance of the swimmer (Adams, 2000).The back crawl or backstroke is one of the most peculiar of the four major swimming strokes. It is the only stroke that is done upside-down. The only downside to using the backstroke is that the swimmer cannot see where they are going, only where they have been. The body position for the backstroke, the swimmer should adopt as streamlined a body position as possible. Try thinking of lying flat on your back in bed without a pillow. The ideal backstroke body position is the placement of the hips. Your hips should be a few inches below the surface of the water. If the hips are too low, your legs will drop and you will create an excess drag. If held too high, your legs will ride too high and much of the kick will be out of the water. The position of the hips is determined mainly by how you hold your head. Your head should be in such a way that the ears are barely submerged and the waterline is about at the middle of your head and below your chin. Your head should be in an almost straight alignment with your body. To maintain this position, keep your eyes open and focus on an object about forty-five degrees above the surface of the water. If your head is too far back, your hips will rise and your legs will follow. If your head is too far forward, your hips will drop, causing a lot of unnecessary resistance.The arm stroke for the backstroke has the same concept as the arm stroke for the front crawl. Use the first arm, then the other in a continuous, flowing, and almost rhythmic motion. It is important to push against water that is not moving. To do this with the most efficient results, your hands must describe the same elongated pattern as in the front crawl. As you start the stroke, your arm is extended straight backward and your hand enters the water directly above your shoulder. ...
