Encore Women (March '08)

100m IM



100m Fly



100m Breast

Back-Breast Turns

There are plenty of ways to do legal back-breast turns in your i.m. The key is finding one that works best for you.

Whatever type of turn you use (open, back flip, or crossover), you must not roll past vertical before touching the wall with your hand.

Also, no matter how quickly you turn, not doing a good pull-out negates any advantage you gained. Do great pull-outs on all breaststroke starts and turns!

If you're not comfortable with the flip or crossover, do a quick open turn (while getting a good breath) and follow it up with a long streamline before your pull-out.

Here's a crossover turn that pushes the limit of the rule. He's backstroker Adam Mania, of Schroeder YMCA in Brown Deer, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee).

Kicking (& Over-Kicking)

When y'all do it off the walls for five or six yards, the difference is dramatic.

Get into great habits now, so you don't have to think about too much while racing.

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p.s. This video is from December of 2007. The team - Arizona - won both the men's and women's 2008 NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships in March.

Ryan Lochte Backstroke

Backstroke Start

Elite swimmers from around the world are experimenting with new backstroke starts.

Some things they all have in common, though, are:

1. Exploding off the block/wall
2. Arched back while over the surface
3. Clean entry in which the head, torso, legs, and feet follow the hands
4. Intense dolphin kicking
5. Surfacing at the 15 m mark

Watch the gals show how it's done:

Breaststroke Turn

Here's an excellent side view of a breaststroke turn.

Note how:

• quickly his legs get through to the wall,
• quickly he pushes off the wall,
• long he holds his streamline before the pull-out,
• strong his dolphin kick is, and
• he recovers his hands close to his body.

Next, check this one out. He gets quite a bit out of his pull-out.