Most swimmers fret about timing their backstroke turn, but when they practice counting their strokes from the flags to the wall, timing can become instinct. Swimmers can learn exactly how many strokes to take before they need to roll and flip.
"Learning correct timing is a system," said swimmer Glenn Mills, member of the 1982 World Championship team.
"My system involves repetitive practice that help swimmers master the count so that when it becomes instinct, they'll be able to feel how fast they're going, understand which arm they'll take their last stroke with, and know when to get their final breath," Mills said.
In order to keep momentum and speed, the idea is to swim almost all the way to the wall, then roll and flip at the last second. Mills, who participated in the 1980 Olympic Trials and the 1983 NCAA, insists the drills be practiced at race pace.
Learn how to practice the drill by following this formula:
Start outside the flags and swim backstroke race-pace toward the wall.
When you see the flags, count to one, then roll and flip. No hesitation.
On your next try, start in the same place but count to two when you see the flags, then roll and flip.
On your third try, start in the same place but count to three, then roll and flip. Your feet might land on the wall, or come close. Make a mental note of how far you were from the wall. Start judging your speed and where you were in your stroke cycle as you pass under the flags.
Sometimes you'll need more or perhaps less strokes to turn without hesitation. It depends on where your arm is as you pass the flags. You may have to adjust your stroke length as your head passes under the flags so you are completing a stroke as you arrive at the wall.
As you continue to practice, keep adding one stroke until you find your range. Your "stroke number" is individual and will depend on your size, strength, age and skill. The goal is to find the count that lets you move through the turn so there is no waiting and no gliding.
"You'll feel when it's the right time to turn, based on your momentum, your rate of turnover and your fatigue factor," said Mills. "Varying the count due to the swimmer's speed, rate and power are all the fine points that coaches and swimmers need to work on before competition."
It wasn't long ago that backstrokers were required to touch the wall with their hand from an on-your-back position. In 1991, FINA approved the "new" turn by allowing swimmers to start the turn from a facedown position and eliminating the requirement that a hand touch the wall.
The impact was immediate. By 1993, after the advancement of the new technique, over 50% of existing USS and Masters swimming records were broken. You can learn more about Mills' drills and see a video of a backstroke approach and turn by visiting http://www.goswim.tv/home.php.