Swimming straight

[swimmom2348]

Learning to swim backstroke in a straight line is my ongoing challenge. When I wear Speedo Vanquisher goggles I can't tell where the lane lines are until I run into them. So I backstroke with no goggles and often get water splashed in my eyes.

I know I need to work on keeping my arms straight and pulling straight but any tips for working on this?

[vegjay]

in an indoor pool when I am on my back I use the ceiling tiles as an aid...
I really like the aqua sphere Seal Xp googles ... esp as they now (come with a storage box).. I have several pair.. including black with smoke (darth vader look) and they can be had cheap ~$18 on sale... also had a pair of the vista... but catches on the strap seemed less reliable.. in general if you have a good feedback... your stroke over time straightens... and stays that way when you lose or take away feedback... ie. Phelps when his goggles washed out

[yearn2swim]

If you're like me, you'll tend to pull to one side. Try to swim 5 or 6 strokes with your eyes shut and see if you tend to pull to one side. I tend to pull to the right if I zone out. I think it's because I'm not symmetric in my shoulder flexibility. Knowing that, I try to compensate by reaching further back and up with my right arm on re-entry. Doing that, I can actually zone out for 25m and not hit either lane line.

Mike