Back Balance (BB)

From SF:

Push off from the wall on your back with both arms at your sides, head aligned with your spine, and nose pointed up and breathing freely. Begin kicking easily. Lightly press your buoy (lean on a spot between your shoulder blades) toward the bottom. Check for the tight line of good aquatic posture. This may feel different when you’re on your back than it did when you were on your belly. You may notice a tendency to tilt your head back and to arch your back—both motions will work against balance. Using abdominal tension to flatten your lower back and extending your neck and bodyline may seem counterintuitive until you have practiced them a few times.

Feedback Tools

• When you are in balance, note that only about one quarter of your head (i.e., just your face) will be exposed above the water’s surface. Your ears should be underwater. The waterline around your head should be at the tip of your chin, at the crest of your forehead, and equally on both sides of your goggles.

• Your pelvis should be at, or within an inch of, the surface.

• Your knees and toes should barely break the surface of the water as you kick.

Experiment a Bit

After you have spent some time with the BB drill using good aquatic posture, experiment as you did with the FB drill—purposely relax into a schlumpy posture and note the effects. Then draw yourself back into a tight line. You will likely experience the same problems with schlumpy posture as you did in the FB drill, as well as the benefits of regaining good, tall posture.