Ian Pope's Swimming Down Under: Backstroke

Ian Pope shares the key fundamentals he's used in developing legendary Australian Olympic backstroker Matt Welsh and many other world class Australian backstrokers.

Pope's teaching progression includes:

• Body Line: Enable your swimmers to swim tall in the water by teaching them to align their body in the least resistive position possible. Pope connects this body position to the arm cycle demonstrating how to maintain a favorable body position through the arm action with a good catch and body rotation.
• Backstroke Kick: Learn detailed mechanics of good kicking including both the upward and downward motion of the flutter kick. Pope also demonstrates three activities for developing speed and power in the kick.
• Arm Action: Train your swimmers to enter and catch in the "power zone!" Pope demonstrates a series of drills that connect proper body line, recovery, catch, and press-through with proper rotation to assist in helping the swimmer groove a feel for the full stroke.
• Breathing & Stroke Efficiency: Pope discusses the importance of stroke count to assist the swimmer in generating maximum efficiency and includes tips for developing, training and utilizing the underwater kick as a weapon for successful racing.
• Backstroke Starts & Turns: See all aspects of great starts and turns including: The block set up, body motion, clean entry into the water, a simple, efficient turn sequence and more.
• Underwater Fly Kick: Learn a whole body undulation on the fly kick, along with tips on the technical aspects of applying pressure on both the down and up kick actions of the fly kick.
• Breakouts: Pope shows how to transition from the fly kick into the breakout stroke with an emphasis on timing of the first and second strokes off of a start or turn.
• Finishes: Achieve the proper line for a fast and effective finish!

In addition, Pope takes a group of younger swimmers through a series of drills to teach all critical elements of the stroke. As Pope coaches these young swimmers, you will gain insight and ideas on how you can improve your young swimmers.

This presentation gives you the key components of backstroke, along with the tips and drills to assist your swimmers in grooving a great feel for the stroke!

50 minutes. 2011.