Tom Dolan

[s.sciame]

How important is a good 6 beat kick in backstroke?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGJ1tCIc9eA

And how important is a still head in backstroke?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT8k9t2BF_g

From above water his backstroke seems to show some kind of loping too. Minimal kick also in the butterfly leg, very interesting smooth swimmer indeed...

[Zenturtle]

Interesting footage.
His freestyle is very asymetric too, so his asymmetry probably is too much to even make his backstroke symmetrical.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muMKiFnThKE
You see on his fast left catch side he is using sideways body bending to pull and on his long side its the clasiic lineair high elbow pull.
On his backstroke its also the left arm that dives in. The basic body action on free and baclk is a bit similar.

Sun Yang has this asymetry a bit also in his stroke. Gives a fresj perspective to look at hin upside down too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4swcAlGDlbw
Now I focus on it more, its very obvious how much he bends his bodyline during his swim.
Its going out of a straight line all the time.

[Richardsk]

Very interesting videos. I suppose one has to conclude that Dolan was an arm dominant swimmer, although those long legs must count for something, especially in breaststroke and butterfly.

I have tried swimming backstroke with minimal kick because my kick is so puny but so far I have concluded that it is best to keep a small flutter kick going to keep the legs near the surface. Dolan also appears to be a one-legged kicker but obviously his one leg does a lot of work.

Plenty of food for thought there.