Backstroke - Speed and Ergonomics

Speed and Ergonomics

Backstroke has a similar speed to butterfly. Race times for the butterfly are superior to those for the backstroke mostly because the former allows a racing start from poolside and the latter does not. In races beyond 200 meters, backstroke would actually be the faster of the two, though it mainly depends on the stamina of the swimmer. The maximum swimming speed for backstroke is around 1.89 meter per second. Due to its position on the back, backstroke uses some different muscles in the upper body than other styles.