It is important to remember to have your palm facing outward. A common mistake is having the palms facing inwards, which causes unnecessary resistance. As the arm enters the water, its momentum will carry it about eight to twelve inches below the surface before you begin to push backwards. Having a bent elbow and a natural body roll can greatly contribute to the execution of the backstroke.The backstroke uses the same "flutter" kick as the front crawl. Because you are swimming on your back, it is the upbeat, not the downbeat, phase of the kick that provides most of the propulsion for the swimmer. The kick not only propels you, but also stabilizes the body position. The most efficient kick to use is the six-beat kick - six kicks of the legs for every complete cycle of the arms. During the upbeat phase, the knee should be bent with the toes turned slightly inward. During the downbeat, the knee should be kept straight. The good thing to the backstroke kick is that is natural and comes easily to most people. Because the head is above water at all times, there is really no breathing method, other than to establish a consistent breathing pattern. Inhale and exhale once during each arm cycle. If your breathing is not consistent, you may start breathing too shallowly and start to pant. Coordination of all the pieces is put together as such. The left arm enters the water at a point directly over the shoulder. The legs are kicked up and down in the flutter kick. The left arm sinks downward as the pull begins and while the right arm starts its recovery directly upward. The elbow of the pulling arm pushes backward and downward, while the legs continue their flutter kick. The pull ends with the palms pressing water toward the bottom of the pool, while the recovering arm enters the water in a line directly over the shoulder.In conclusion, swimming is becoming a very scientific sport. The laws of physics are being applied to the tec...
