Elite Backstroke Tips with Kyle Millis: Core Engagement, Hip Rotation & Game-Changing Drills

Elevate your backstroke with insights from former collegiate swimmer Kyle Millis. In this video, Kyle shares three powerful techniques that can transform your stroke—core engagement, hip-driven rotation, and video analysis. Whether you’re a competitive swimmer or working toward a more efficient stroke, these tips will help you swim smarter and faster.

Millis breaks down why a strong core is the engine behind a smooth, balanced backstroke, and introduces the “hips, hips, hips” mantra to reinforce rhythmic rotation and speed. He also encourages swimmers to record and review their strokes, offering a visual approach to pinpoint and correct inefficiencies.

You’ll also learn three essential drills—double arm backstroke, 222 drill, and backstroke catch-up—designed to sharpen stroke alignment, strengthen your catch, and improve symmetry. These tools are ideal for swimmers aiming to unlock their full potential through focused, intelligent training.

Key Takeaways

🔥 Core Power = Stroke Power

• Engaging the core stabilizes your body, promotes clean rotation, and boosts overall efficiency.

🔄 “Hips, Hips, Hips!”

• This mantra keeps you centered on hip rotation, which drives rhythm and builds propulsion throughout each lap.

🎥 Film. Watch. Improve.

• Recording yourself swimming helps spot flaws invisible in real-time, offering actionable feedback for rapid improvement.

👐 Essential Drills to Elevate Technique

• Double Arm Backstroke: Builds catch strength and fixes overreaching.

• 222 Drill: Maintains power balance between sides.

• Backstroke Catch-Up: Reinforces core control, proper alignment, and clean kicking.

⚖️ Balanced Strokes = Faster Swims

• Focus on equal power output across both sides to maintain straight, effective movement through the water.

💡 Advanced Drills for Serious Gains

• Backstroke catch-up is a high-difficulty drill that challenges timing, core strength, and flow under fatigue.

Former college swimmer Kyle Millis shares insightful techniques to improve backstroke performance. He emphasizes three key areas: engaging the core, utilizing hip rotation, and filming oneself. A strong core is crucial for effective swimming, as it drives power and ensures proper body rotation. Millis advocates the “hips, hips, hips” mantra for maintaining speed and balance. He recommends video analysis to identify and correct technical flaws. Millis also introduces three drills—double arm backstroke, the 222 drill, and backstroke catch-up—to develop proper technique and improve efficiency in strokes. These insights aim to help swimmers elevate their backstroke technique to an elite level.

Highlights

• Engaging the core is essential for effective backstroke performance.

• Hip rotation is crucial for speed and maintaining stroke balance.

• Filming oneself swimming can help identify and correct technique flaws.

• The “hips, hips, hips” mantra aids in focus and efficiency during races.

• Double arm backstroke drill improves catch strength and correct stroke alignment.

• The 222 drill helps maintain even power distribution between sides.

• Backstroke catch-up enhances core engagement and promotes better kicking technique.

Key Insights

• Engagement of Core: A swimmer’s core plays a critical role in the effectiveness of their backstroke. Many athletes neglect core strength in favor of arm and leg movements. An engaged core stabilizes the body, aiding in proper rotation and power transfer.

• Importance of Hip Rotation: Effective swimming demands good hip rotation, which accelerates arm movement and overall speed. Swimmers should focus on hip engagement, especially during races, to ensure rhythm and speed are maintained.

• Technique Analysis Through Video: Recording and reviewing swim sessions can unveil issues invisible in real-time. It allows swimmers to pinpoint weaknesses and overcorrections in their forms, enabling precise improvements.

• Drill Practice for Skill Enhancement: Specific drills like double arm backstroke and 222 can reinforce technique and help remedy common flaws. These repetitive practices instill muscle memory for effective strokes.

• Distribution of Power: Maintaining an even distribution of power across both sides of the stroke is essential for speed and balance. The drills mentioned, particularly 222, help swimmers refine their stroke symmetry.

• High-Level Difficulty Drills: The backstroke catch-up drill is highlighted as an advanced technique to develop arm strength while simultaneously emphasizing proper kicking and core engagement.

• Crossover Problems in Strokes: Addressing issues like overreaching during strokes is crucial. Focusing on maintaining a straight trajectory can enhance overall stroke velocity and reduce inefficient movements.