What is the Backstroke?

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Summary: Backstroke, sometimes called the inverted freestyle, is a stroke that is swum on the back. Get an overview of the backstroke in this free swimming lesson on video.

Views: 1,287 | Tags: water, swimming, sports, swim, pool, backstroke, competitive, swimming lessons

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About the Expert

Phillip Toriello Phillip Toriello was a competitive swimmer for Salinas High School, USAFE Swim Team and Cuesta College. He has also been a surfer, a lifeguard, a swim instruc... read more

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Video Transcript

What is the Backstroke?

PHILLIP TORIELLO: Hello and welcome to Expert Village, I'm Phillip Toriello from the Avila Bay Athletic Club. Backstroke. Backstroke is basically one of the easier stokes and is generally known as the inverted freestyle stroke. There are many similarities to the freestyle, but instead, you're laying on your back, your head is up, your bellybutton is as high as it can be and your hips were up on top of the water. The biggest advantage to the backstroke that most swimmers find is that you have the ease of breathing. Your face is never in the water. There's not a matter of timing as far as when you can or cannot breathe. So, you have that free ability, that free access. Some of the competitive backstroke events include the 50, the 100 and the 200 individual races. Those are basically the two lengths of the pool, four lengths of the pool, the eight lengths of the pool. All backstroke, all individually done. The other competitive events include the 100 medley, the 200 medley, the 400 individual medley and the 4 x 100 medley race.