Swimming: Stroke Development Backstroke

Turns
Touch Turn. View the wall with your last arm stroke, touch with one hand, lift your knees towards your chest, place both your feet on the wall and pivot to the left or right, push with your touching hand and instantly push with both your legs to take you underwater just below the water surface, kick for a few seconds whilst underwater. Hands and feet come together underwater following the push off to develop excellent streamlining.

Dive
Stand firmly on the poolside or starting block with toes rapped around the front edge. Place hands to the side or front of the starting block; Fingers will secure starting position with body weight slightly forwards. Dive out down the pool to full stretch; Pike at the highest point of the dive whilst in the air in order to enter the water surface, the whole body enters through the same point of contact on the water surface as if you were diving through a hoop; Snap out of this position and into a streamlined position on immediate entry into the water in order for the body to follow through the same point of entry. Hold a streamlined position for approximately four seconds underwater with a continuous frontcrawl or dolphin leg kick to maintain speed. It is possible to find greater speed whilst underwater due to good streamlining and momentum. Ensure the leg kick drives the body to the water surface; maintain speed and lift the head to break the water surface in order to resume full stroke. If you dive too flat you will loose speed through the water and effort from the poolside or starting block will be lost. Never dive into shallow waters.