Backstroke continued with Water Drills

Head Lead Balance Drill on Back-Arms In the Saddles (elbows in and next to the ribs, hands hang down relaxed). Try to Grow the Neck, keep the ribs down, the bellybutton in and up, and the shoulders away from the ears. Press the Lungs slightly down into the water to help bring hips and legs up. Kick as little as possible and travel slowly. The water should hit slightly below the center of the top of the head. Most common mistakes are improper head position (should look towards feet at a 45 degree angle), arched back (should Press Lungs into the water more), bringing the shoulders forward (causes hips to sink), and kicking to hard (can hide a Balance problem). Once swimmers are proficient, experiment with head too high and head too low.

Head Lead Balance Drill on Side-Positioned on one side, with the arms In the Saddles. Try to Grow the Neck, keep the ribs in, Press the shoulder into the water slightly, and have no arch • in the back. Kick as little as possible and travel slowly. Kicking will be sideways, not down. Look over the shoulder, above the water, at a 45 degree angle. The water should hit slightly below the center of the top of the head. Most common mistakes are improper head position (should look over the shoulder, above the water, at a 45 degree angle), arched back (should keep the ribs in and the shoulders back) and leaning forward or backwards (not properly Balanced).

Arm Lead Balance Drill on Side -Positioned on one side, with one arm out in front, the other arm In the Saddle. Try to Grow the Neck, keep the ribs in, and have no arch in the back. Kick as little as possible and travel slowly. Kicking will be sideways, not down. The armpit is the Balance point. Look over the shoulder, above the water, at a 45 degree angle. The water should hit slightly below the center of the top of the head. Most common mistakes are improper head position (should look over the shoulder, above the water, at a 45 degree angle), arched back (should keep the ribs in and the shoulders away from ears), and leaning forward or backwards (not properly Balanced).