Backstroke Flags For Swimming: How To Use Them

At all competition swimming pools, you will notice the coloured flags strung across the pool. They look pretty cool, right? But they actually have a good reason for being there. To make sure backstrokers don’t have a painful encounter with the wall!

When swimming backstroke, there is no way that a swimmer can see how close they are to the wall without turning your head around to look for it. This will slow down your momentum and probably would strain your neck. The flags provide safety as you approach the wall.

The flags are 5 yards/metres from the wall

This is standard for all pools to make the distances predictable so that swimmers can practise in any pool and know how many strokes they need to reach the wall for their turn or to finish.

How many strokes until I reach the wall?

The number of strokes taken between the flags and the wall is influenced by various factors, such as speed and stroke efficiency. Additionally, your body dimensions, including height and arm length, contribute to this count. 

To work out the right number of strokes for your technique, begin at the centre of the pool and swim backstroke towards the wall at your usual pace. After passing beneath the flags, take only two strokes and halt with one arm extended overhead. At this point, assess your distance from the wall. Repeat this procedure, incrementing the stroke count by one each time, until you reach the wall. 

This final count represents the number of strokes required to finish at the wall. Conduct this exercise again to establish the stroke count needed before executing a flip turn, as this may differ from the finishing count. It is advisable to have a coach or a friend observe your attempts, and consider recording your practice sessions to identify the most effective technique for you.

Preparing at a meet

When you go to a competition, make sure you have time to warm-up in the competition pool.  If you’re swimming backstroke in a different course length than you’re used to at a meet, you’ll want to practise as much as possible during the warm-up. Or maybe you normally swim indoors and aren’t used to squinting through the sun at flags blowing in the wind. During the warm-up, figure out what’s different from your home pool and adapt.