How to Set Personal Bests in Backstroke

Backstroke is a stroke of precision, rhythm, and control. Unlike freestyle, where you can power forward with your head down and arms pumping, backstroke requires a fine balance between technique, rotation, and pacing. If you're aiming to improve your times and set new personal bests, it takes more than just swimming more laps — it takes strategy.

In this guide, we’ll break down the essential components of backstroke performance and show you how to fine-tune each one to help you set personal bests in backstroke.

🧠 Step 1: Identify What’s Holding You Back

Before pushing harder, take a step back. What’s limiting your current performance?

Evaluate:

• Stroke efficiency – Are you overreaching or dropping your elbow?

• Kick strength and consistency – Are you flutter kicking throughout the race?

• Rotation and alignment – Are your shoulders and hips rotating in sync?

• Start and turn execution – Are you hitting 15 meters off your underwater dolphin kick?

• Pacing strategy – Are you going out too fast or too slow?

✅ Record and review your swims or ask a coach for a stroke analysis.

🏗️ Step 2: Build a Structured Training Plan

To improve consistently, you need a plan with purpose. Break your training into key focuses:

Weekly Plan Example:

Day	Focus Area
Monday	Stroke Technique + Kick Power
Tuesday	Endurance + Pacing
Wednesday	Starts, Turns, and Finishes
Friday	Sprint Sets + Stroke Rate Control
Saturday	Drill Progression + Recovery Swim

🏊 Step 3: Use Backstroke-Specific Drills

Incorporate targeted drills into your workouts to correct and improve technique.

Best Backstroke Drills:

• Single-arm backstroke – Improves rotation and arm path awareness

• 3-3-3 drill – 3 strokes right arm, 3 left, 3 full-stroke to develop balance

• Water bottle balance drill – Teaches proper head position and body alignment

• Vertical dolphin kick – Builds underwater power off the wall

✅ Drill sets should make up 20–30% of each workout when focusing on stroke development.

🔁 Step 4: Improve Stroke Tempo and Distance Per Stroke

To swim faster, you need to find the sweet spot between stroke rate (tempo) and distance per stroke (DPS).

• Use a tempo trainer to lock in consistent turnover speed

• Focus on fewer strokes per length during warm-ups and build sets

• Track stroke count per 25/50m and aim for gradual improvement

🏋️‍♀️ Step 5: Strengthen the Key Muscles for Backstroke

Dryland training plays a big role in backstroke power and injury prevention.

Focus on:

• Shoulders and back: Lat pulldowns, pull-ups, resistance band rows

• Core: Planks, Russian twists, flutter kicks

• Legs: Squats, lunges, and resistance band flutter kicks

✅ Train 2–3x per week with exercises that simulate the backstroke movement pattern.

⏱️ Step 6: Practice Race-Specific Sets

Rehearse the race with timed sets that mimic event pace, rest, and transitions.

Example Sets:

• 4x25 @ 100 race pace, with :20 rest

• 3x50 @ goal 200 pace, descending each rep

• 2x100 negative split — second 50 faster than the first

✅ Combine with underwater dolphin kick goals (e.g., hold 10–12m off each wall).

🧠 Step 7: Dial In Your Mental Game

Confidence, focus, and race-day execution are just as critical as training.

Tips:

• Visualize the perfect swim: from start to finish

• Break the race into segments (e.g., breakout, mid-race, last 15m)

• Create mantras or cues like “kick through the wall” or “reach and roll”

🏁 Final Thoughts

Setting personal bests in backstroke is a combination of consistent training, smart technique work, and focused mental preparation. By identifying your weaknesses, setting goals, and fine-tuning every phase of your stroke — from the push-off to the finish — you’ll see time drops and feel stronger in the water.