 |
||
Backstroke Turns
Of all the turns in swimming backstroke turns have changed the most over the past 15 years. Considering the present state of the rules, it is likely that this turn will change further due to some fairly ambiguous rulings as they stand now. Originally, the turn required a swimmer to touch the wall with their hand before initiating the turn, which needed to be done completely on the back (with the shoulders not passing the vertical plane). This turn looked a lot like a turtle spinning on its back. An innovation by backstrokers in the early 1980s altered this turn by having the touching hand reach across the body to initiate a very crabbed freestyle turn on the side. While the shoulders never broke the vertical plane, it led to a number of confused officials mistakenly disqualifying backstrokers until they got used to it. Some barked ankles, and broken ankles later, led the swimming powers that be to change the ruling yet again so that the hand need not touch the wall during the backstroke turn. Furthermore, to possibly ease the nerves of confused turn judges, the backstroker was allowed to make a full flip over on to the stomach in order to prepare for what was now essentially a freestyle turn in a backstroke event. This rule change has led to the first of two fungeable aspects to the ruling on backstroke turns.
Test YourselfDo you have a small nose or long lips? If you do it may help your backstroke.In the late 80s when the art of using a butterfly kick underwater was being developed, we found that those of us who could purse our lips and effectively block off our nostrils had an advantage. They didn't lose as much air as others did when kicking on our backs underwater. Now that you can only go 15 meters underwater it might not matter quite so much but the best swimmers still push the boundaries. If you have any physical advantage, use it. The second area where there's some flexibility in the backstroke turn rules is how far you're able to go underwater before your head has to break the surface. In the late 1980s some swimmers were swimming the length of the pool underwater using butterfly kick before taking a few strokes to prepare for their turn then swimming underwater again to the flags on the other side of the pool. This innovation forced swimming's timid rulemakers to restrict the distance that a person can swim underwater before their head must break the surface. At first this distance was 10 meters, double the distance that backstroke flags are installed from the wall, but when most high-level swimmers blew past that distance regularly underwater, the distance was extended to 15 meters. Now 15 meters is farther than half-way down a short course pool so judging that distance shouldn't be a problem for NCAA swimming, but in long course, where most pools are outdoors, that's a different matter. In lower-level events where coaches are able to be on the deck, you should be able to stand someone at the side of the pool where the 15 meter mark is. However in more important events, you're going to have to measure and mark off some landmark of the pool that will work for you. At present there are no markings that are required of pools to define this 15 meter mark. In fact, the suggestion to referees, by US Swimming is that they use their judgment. This means, guess. 
Backstroke Streamline My suggestion in regarding to all these rules is do your best to stay within them but it's your time that matters so push these boundaries to their limit. Measure off and practice your strokes to the wall from the flags and find landmarks that are just within the 15 meter mark from the wall, and use them. Then if you make an innovation that forces another rule change? Good for you. At present the backstroke turn is very much like a freestyle turn. The only real difference is that you start and end the turn on your back. Of course when you're on your back, you set up your turn very differently than when you're prone, so let's start there. Most backstrokers are taught their turn approach starts at the flags. While this is a handy and useful way of judging your distance to the wall, most of the top swimmers in the world use their stroke count from the entire length. They also know that they have a different number of strokes to complete a length of the pool from their first length than on their second length. However, as you're getting used to doing this turn, a stroke count from the flags to the wall will do for now. To find out how many strokes it takes for you to get from the flags to the wall, swim one length backstroke. Once you've reached the flags, start counting. For a 10 year old or so, the stroke count can be as high as 8 strokes. For an adult in good swimming form, it can be as few as 2 and a half strokes. You may hit your head the first time, and that's ok. Just take your stroke count and subtract one. Now that you have your stroke count to the wall from the flags, you're ready to attack the wall. Your last stroke before the wall will be a long one that rolls you over from your back to your front. As your arm moves in front of your face, you will dive your head around that arm so that your bottom is close to the wall, but both your feet and head are not. Then with all your might, you will snap your legs over your body to hit the wall with as much force as you can muster. As soon as your feet contact the wall, you explode away on your back in a streamlined position with your arms locked together over your head and your chin tucked against your chest. Hold this streamlined position for a little bit. Starting your butterfly kick too early will slow you down so you have to judge when you're moving slightly slower than you would if you were just kicking underwater. Then start your kick. As we discussed in the butterfly section, the butterfly kick starts just under the ribcage and rolls down the body to the feet. Kick so that you feel pressure on the tops and soles of your feet constantly and start to watch for your 15 meter guidepost without losing your streamlined position. Ideally, you want to hit the surface of the water just at this mark. Once you're close to the surface of the water, you will take the most important stroke of the length of the pool. This is the stroke that instantly returns you to proper body position and rockets you through the surface tension of the water that you'd been avoiding up to this point by being underwater. Feel for the water at the top of your stroke and make sure you've got a really good ball to pull on. Then with a massive pull, break the surface of the water and put your head into proper position for backstroke. At the same time, take your last and most powerful butterfly kick. Start your second pull a little early as well to continue with the breakthrough motion. |
Enjoy This Site?
Then why not use the button below, to add us to your favorite bookmarking service? |
|
|
|
||
|
| ||