The desire to feel a strong pull leads many swimmers to pull with a straight arm and a wide sweep to the side.  It’s more productive to pull with a bent-arm pull, but this can be difficult to teach!  Come join us this week as we offer suggestions for teaching this important backstroke skill.

**Monday**

**Aaron Peirsol: Perpendicular Pull**

Backstroke legend Aaron Peirsol shows where we’re headed when teaching a bent-arm pull.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/210-perpendicular-pull>

0835 seemingly pulling on the lane line

1448 Direct path of the hand

2299 shallow hand

3331 Great alignment from shoulder to shoulder to elbow

3542 downward finish to pop the shoulder

3965 early catch

4744 early catch

4767 line from shoulder to shoulder to elbow

4819 and enters before the other hand exits

4858 line from shoulder to shoulder elbow

5869 articulated palm

5958 perpendicular arm

10217 line from shoulder to shoulder to elbow perpendicular

11108 Palm facing backwards immediately

11193 Palm mostly facing backwards

11314 articulating the wrist

11551 articulating the wrist

11608 switching from pull to push

12067 clearly pushing back

12910 using the entire arm

14988 show the whole stroke slowly

25304 High elbow catch upside down

33671 early early early catch

**Tuesday**

**Steve Haufler Backstroke: Vertical Double-Arm**

Vertical Double-Arm Backstroke is just one of Steve Haufler’s MANY tricks for teaching a bent-arm pull.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1270-vertical-double-arm-backstroke>

0405 double arm backstroke

0874 shallow hands straight arms

1351 bent elbow

1661 early catch

1693 Palm facing back or down

1729 push to the finish

2360 shoulder to shoulder to elbow alignment

2685 pull

2705 push

3210 pull

3231 push

4756 EVF

5332 early learning underwater recovery

10476 straight arm backstroke cans too wide

11617 transition from vertical to horizontal

12824 to single arm

13436 two full stroke backstroke

**Wednesday**

**Steve Haufler Backstroke:  Strapless Paddles**

Strapless paddles are a great tool for imprinting a backstroke bent-arm pull.  One big advantage is that you can talk to the swimmers as they learn and perfect the bent-arm motion.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1274-strapless-paddles>

0341 playing with strapless paddles

0898 always keeping pressure on the palms

1830 try to isolate the upper arm

3002 try to make sure the paddles don’t get pushed too deep

3547 grip the paddle and recovery

3626 release the grip and skull through the pole

4279 practice initially using single arm

4852 articulate the wrist

4872 pull

4899 push

10004 arm is just a little too straight

10271 so pushing through a little too long

**Thursday**

**Steve Haufler Backstroke: Sculling Drills**

Steve has three different sculling drills for deep imprinting of a bent-arm pull.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1275-sculling-drills>

0405 fingertips up skulling

0799 elbows bent

1430 transitioning from skull to recovery

1719 Palms always pushing

1843 small flutter kick or pull buoy to keep the hips up

2725 teach the palm down articulation

3084 Queen wave at your feet

4124 teach softness and elegance

4763 awaken the palms

10200 standing skull same position is on deck

11200 transition from standing to horizontal

11572 reverse scull

14186 move from Palms at the hips to perpendicular arms

14351 changing from pulling to pushing

20712 Single arm Side skull

21274 bent arm

21943 teach the initial catch feeling

22348 a very young Aaron Peirsol

22716 remember what Aaron stroke looked like

**Friday**

**Backstroke Drill: Bent-Arm Pull**

Pulling on the lane line is not cheating when you use it to teach a bent-arm pull!

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2366-backstroke-bent-arm-pull>

0572 teaching a shallow bent elbow catch

1355 the hand should travel in a path similar to pulling on the lane line

3519 stay close to the lane

3558 try to grab while fully extended

3610 pop the elbow for the catch

3719 push to the finish

4399 early catch

4426 bent elbow

4469 push to the finish

**Saturday**

**Backstroke Drill: Upside Down Fingertip Drag**

This is one of our favorite drills for teaching – and getting a feel for – the bent-arm pull.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2209-backstroke-upside-down-fingertip-drag>

0326 the most delicate drill

0616 trying to avoid splash

0851 the hand should match the speed of the body moving forward

1352 perpendicular arm

1452 bent elbow

1674 fingertips engaged with the surface

1709 staying as close as possible

1798 Beautiful initiation

1947 Beautiful initiation

3448 avoid pushing the water back or splashing

Show more examples

**Sunday**

**Glenn Endless Pool:  Position-11 Back Pull**

You don’t need an Endless Pool to try this drill! By slowing things down and pulling with just one arm at a time, swimmers can really focus on the catch and a bent-arm pull pattern.  Also, this drill separates the arm recovery (where the arm should be straight) from the pull (where the arm should be bent).

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1732-position-11-back-pull>

0935 position 11

1039 initiating the catch

1063 early catch

1260 back to position 11

1776 repeat

2512 opposite arm

4349 being flat means you need to rotate and reach for the catch

4422 pull

4462 push

5429 stretch to the catch

11307 put on fins increase velocity


Sign In to watch video

Nov. 19, 2024 - Backstroke: Teaching a Bent-Arm Pull