Braden Holloway's All-Encompassing Approach to Backstroke Training

with Braden Holloway,
North Carolina State Head Coach (Men's & Women's);
6x ACC Men's Coach of the Year ('13, '15, '16, '17, '18, '19);
2017 ACC Women's Coach of the Year;
5x All-American swimmer at NC State

Seasonal planning strategies can make or break your season. NC State head coach Braden Holloway describes his seasonal training philosophy in this video and includes progressions and test sets that will help you stay on track toward your goals.

Coach Holloway breaks the season into chapters that focus on endurance, power, speed, and recovery. He talks about the interplay between the chapters, and about the manipulation of reps, resistance, and rest that will make seasonal progressions work for individual athletes and for the team as a whole.

Technical Building Blocks of the Backstroke

In his "Key Concepts" segment, Coach Holloway describes the individual elements that need to be present in championship-caliber backstroke. He tells you what you should be looking for in the underwater work, the breakout, the kick, the catch, and the pull. He describes good head and body position and defines proper body rotation. Holloway also explains why there are some elements that must be tailored to an individual swimmer's strength, flexibility, and training.

Drills - How, When, and Why

Coach Holloway reviews the basic set of drills he uses for backstroke. He also stresses the importance of varying the drills so that swimmers must stay focused as they swim, improving their retention. He discusses the equipment he uses, including new ways to use equipment you already have, to build specific skills. He also provides some guidelines for using equipment so that your drills do not increase the risk of injury or create undesirable consequences in the stroke.

Coach Holloway teaches an elite backstroke finish. He discusses why the lunge finish is inefficient. He has his swimmers demonstrate backstroke finishes, discussing the variations in style between the swimmers in terms of their individual builds and abilities.

In the "Turns" segment, Coach Holloway takes his swimmers through a three-drill turn progression:

• Develop a tight rotation for the fastest possible turn
• Learn how and when to perform the arm cross to minimize drag
• Set a perfect foot plant for a maximum push-off
• Transition into a breakout that carries as much speed as possible off the wall

Backstroke starts are a highly-athletic movement that take time and attention to perform well. Coach Holloway discusses what matters in a backstroke start, and what does not before giving you some of his best start drills. He also explains why individuals must experiment to find their best personal style.

Building Speed and Power

Learn the equipment and techniques Coach Holloway uses to build speed and power in backstroke by observing a power day practice with his championship backstrokers.

You will:

• Learn to use a variety of equipment to increase resistance safely
• Hear how Coach Holloway uses key words and verbal cues to inspire more effort or put the focus on technique
• See how to allow athletes to tailor aspects of a set to meet their individual needs.
• Learn the warning signs that indicate that you should adjust the intensity up or down during a practice.
• Understand how the same drill or progression can be used differently at different times in the season

Coach Holloway shares years of experience swimming and coaching championship backstroke in this comprehensive video. His passion for backstroke, for his swimmers, and for the sport will inspire you to take your backstroke coaching to the next level.

170 minutes (2 discs). 2019.