Killer backstroke recoveries are about doing the basics really,...
Andrew Sheaff@AndrewKSheaff
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Dec 27, 2025
~1 min read
1
Killer backstroke recoveries are about doing the basics really, really well.
They’re direct in that they move in a straight line straight over the body.
This serves two critical functions.
First, it prevents the body from moving side to side.
They’re direct in that they move in a straight line straight over the body.
This serves two critical functions.
First, it prevents the body from moving side to side.
2
If swimmers are wiggling down the pool, it’s often tied to recoveries that are NOT direct.
The means more drag and less speed.
Second, a direct recovery drops the arm in right above the shoulder so that swimmers can create propulsion as quickly as possible.
The means more drag and less speed.
Second, a direct recovery drops the arm in right above the shoulder so that swimmers can create propulsion as quickly as possible.
3
If the recovery is off, the entry will be off, and that means more time before getting into an effective pull, or there won’t be an effective pull at all.
4
If backstrokers aren’t using direct recoveries, they’re going to struggle to create lot of propulsion and they’re going to struggle to keep drag low.