Swimming Tips by Coach Ian Lee of =http://www.thatswimteam.org]THAT Masters Swim Team.
Backstroke: 1 Arm Backstroke also called R/L backstroke
This drill is very similar to the single arm freestyle. The difference is that your head is still and back, not turning to the side to breath.
1. Head should be back and still, spine should be inline.
2. For our purposes we are going to describe the drill using the right arm.
3. You should roll your right hip and shoulder in unison out of water.
4. You should now be kicking sideways, and lifting right arm up towards Sky (thumb first)
5. When your arm is at a 90-degree angle pointing straight up at the sky you should begin rolling the opposite way so that your right side is rolling under water.
6. AT NO POINT should you have to reach your arm under water.
7. As you roll your right side under your arm should be traveling towards the water and above your head.
8. Your hand should hit the water just AFTER your right shoulder has entered water at some where between 10:00 & 11:00 (Pinky first)
9. You should continue the hands path deeper into the water via the shoulder roll.
10. At no point should your hand end up beyond your scapular plane.
11. At this point your hand should be deep in the water and you should be kicking on your right side.
12. Your pull should happen simultaneously with your roll.
13. You should be pulling the water down as your right hip rotates back towards the surface.
14. You should be using your forearm along with your hand on the pull.
15. You want your elbow even with your hand as soon as possible in the stoke enabling you to use your forearm to pull along with your hand.
16. Your pull ends as your hip exits the water and your hand should finish slightly deeper than your hip.
17. You then repeat.