Backstroke: Overview and Swimming

Technique
By: AuthorChristophe Keller

Posted onLast updated: March 13, 2021

The backstroke, or back crawl, uses alternating and opposite arm

movements. As one arm pulls through the water from an overhead
position to the hip, the other arm recovers above the water from the hip
to the overhead position and vice versa.

The legs perform a flutter kick, similar to the one used in the front crawl.

The backstroke is, as the name suggests, the only one of the four
competitive swimming strokes swum on the back.

A few lengths of the backstroke in the morning is a good way to start the
day

In terms of speed, it is slower than the front crawl and butterfly but faster
than the breaststroke.

Backstroke Swimming Video

Below is a video in slow-motion demonstrating backstroke:

Backstroke Swimming Technique

In the next section, we will describe the swimming technique of the
backstroke.

Body Movement

The backstroke is swum in a horizontal position on the back. However,

the body rolls a little from side to side, following the arm movements.

As a consequence, the shoulder of the arm that is currently pulling back

in the water is lower than the shoulder of the arm that is recovering
forward above water.
While the body rolls from side to side, the head remains in a neutral
position, face up. Ideally, it should be possible to swim backstroke with a
small bottle on your forehead without it falling off.

You can learn more about body movement in backstroke here.

Arm Movement

In the backstroke, the arms perform alternating and opposite

movements.

One arm pulls backward in the water, from an extended forward position
to outside the shoulder and then to the hip, performing an S-shaped
movement and providing propulsion.

The other arm recovers above water, moving from the hip to the
extended forward position in the water, performing a semi-circular
movement. The arm is kept straight during the recovery.

The arms then alternate their movements, and so on. Per swimming
stroke cycle, each arm pulls once in the water and recovers once above
the water.

You can learn more about arm movement in backstroke here.

Leg Movement — Flutter Kick

The backstroke uses a flutter kick. The legs perform alternating and
opposite movements. While one leg moves up, the other leg moves
down, and vice versa.

The legs are moved up and down in quick succession with compact
movements. The feet are stretched while the hips and knees bend
slightly.

In backstroke swimming, a six-beat kicking pattern is used almost

universally, with each foot kicking three times per stroke cycle, for a total
of six kicks.
The flutter kick provides some propulsion in addition to the propulsion
generated by the arms. The kick also helps to stabilize the body in relation
to the arm movements.

You can learn more about the flutter kick in backstroke here.

Breathing Technique

Breathing is not restricted when swimming backstroke, because you are

on your back and your face is above the water.

However, this requires that you have a relatively good balance in the
horizontal position on your back. Otherwise, it is possible that the head
will submerge, which, of course, leads to problems.

It is also possible for water to splash into the face during the recovery of
the arm stroke. Therefore, it makes sense to synchronize breathing with
the movement of the arms.

For example, you can always inhale on one arm while exhaling on the
other arm if it is always the same arm that splashes water in your face.

Or inhale during the ascending part of the arm recovery and exhale
during the descending part of the arm recovery.

You can learn more about breathing during the backstroke here.

Learn to Swim Backstroke

With our series of swimming drills, you can learn the backstroke step by
step. The series can be divided into the following stages:

1) First, you practice the flutter kick on your back while holding on to the
edge of the pool.

2) Next, you practice balance by floating on your back and sides and using
the flutter kick to move forward.

3) Then you practice the underwater and above water arm movements
separately with each arm.
4) Finally, you practice both arm movements simultaneously.

Go to our series of swimming drills for backstroke.

How to Avoid Bumping into the Wall

The problem with the backstroke is that you cannot see what is
happening in front of you. That’s why our reader, Suzanne, is afraid to
bang her head into the wall at the end of the pool.

This is a legitimate fear to have and especially so for beginners.

Therefore, I describe some strategies you can use to avoid swimming into
the wall.

Elementary Backstroke
Elementary backstroke is a simplified form of backstroke that is easier for
beginners to learn.

Body Movement

The body is in a supine position in the water. This enables unrestricted

breathing. However, it is necessary to have a reasonably good balance on
the back.

Arm Movement

The arms perform identical and synchronous movements in the water.

At first, the arms are straight along the body. The hands are drawn from
the hips, along the body to the armpits, then moved outwards at
shoulder level until the arms are straight and extended sideways.

Finally, the straight arms are moved back to the hips, pushing against the
water and thus providing propulsion.

Leg Movement

The legs also perform identical, synchronous movements in the water,

that are similar to the breaststroke kick, except that the body is turned up
instead of down in the horizontal position.
At first, the legs are stretched out and held together. Now, the knees
bend, the legs are spread, and the feet move toward the buttocks.

When the feet are close to the buttocks, the legs are extended again and
brought together. Thereby, the inner sides of the legs and feet press
against the water and provide propulsion.

Breathing

Breathing is unrestricted, but it makes sense to synchronize breathing

with the arm and leg movements, i.e., inhale when the arms move
toward the shoulders and extend sideways, and exhale when the arms
are brought back to the sides.

You can learn more about the elementary backstroke here.

Related Pages
You may also be interested in the following articles that cover the
backstroke’s swimming technique:

• Backstroke Swimming Technique – Overview

• Backstroke Swimming Technique – Body Position and Head
Position
• Swimming Backstroke – Arm Technique and Movements
• The Backstroke Kick – Swimming Technique
• Swimming Backstroke – Breathing Technique and Tips
• Elementary Backstroke: Swimming Technique and Tips
• Swimming Backstroke: How to Avoid Bumping into the Wall with
the Head
• Learn To Swim Backstroke: Drills and Exercises
• Overview of Common Swimming Strokes / Styles
• Enjoy Swimming Home

Backstroke Swimming Technique – Body

Position and Head Position
In this installment of our series of articles on backstroke technique, we
will discuss the movements of the body and the position of the head.

Body Position
In backstroke, you float on your back in the water. Your body is almost
horizontal, with a slight tilt toward the feet.

A good position of the body is essential to swim backstroke.

This slight tilt allows you to flutter kick without your legs breaking the
water surface.

Beginners often have trouble getting into or maintaining this horizontal

position.

Their hips and legs sink, and the whole body gets dragged down. The face
drops below the water surface, and breathing is disrupted.

Causes for Sinking Legs

Having your hips and legs sink while swimming backstroke can have the
following causes:

1) You don’t lean back enough in the water.

Leaning back presses your lungs down in the water.

As your lungs are the most buoyant part of the body, pressing them down
causes your hips and legs to rise because your body acts like a seesaw as
long as it is kept straight.

The head-lead supine balance drill has more explanations about this
technique.

2) You don’t keep your body straight but bend at the hips.

This is often the case for certain swimmers where their kick is more akin
to a bicycle kick rather than a flutter kick.

Ideally, your hips and knees should only bend a little while flutter kicking.
As explained above, if you don’t keep your body straight, it will be
difficult for you to lean back and use the buoyancy of your lungs to raise
your hips and legs.

Body Roll
While swimming backstroke, your body should roll from side to side,
between 30° and 45° from a flat position.

Your body rolls toward the side of the recovering arm as it is about to
enter the water, while the other arm is about to leave the water at the
end of the underwater arm sweep.

Rolling from side to side allows you to use your chest and back muscles in
addition to your shoulder muscles, hence increasing propulsion.

Rolling from side to side also decreases strain on your shoulders, making
them less likely to develop the swimmer’s shoulder injury.

Please note that backstroke swimmers often roll too little rather than too
much.

So you can try to roll more to the side than usual to see if this improves
the grip of your arms in the water.

Head Position
Whereas your body rolls from side to side during the backstroke
swimming cycle, your head stays in a fixed neutral position.

It is in line with the trunk and neither tucked in nor rolled forward. Your
face is above water, and you look straight up or slightly backward.

Some coaches use the following backstroke drill to practice a neutral

head position: they have their swimmers swim backstroke with a small
bottle of water placed on their forehead.
Swimming Backstroke – Arm Technique
and Movements
In backstroke, the arms perform opposite alternating movements.

While one arm is brought forward from the hip above water, the other
arm pulls back from the front to the hip under water, creating propulsion.

In the following article, we take a closer look at the backstroke arm

technique.

Backstroke uses alternating arm movements that require good

coordination.
Video: Ryan Lochte’s Backstroke
First, let’s have a look at a video featuring Ryan Lochte swimming
backstroke:

Ryan Lochte’s amazing backstroke technique

Arm Stroke Phases
In backstroke, the arm stroke movements can be divided into the
following phases:

1. Entry and extension forward.

2. First downsweep.
3. Catch.
4. First upsweep.
5. Second downsweep.
6. Second upsweep.
7. Release.
8. Recovery.
These phases are explained further below.

Entry and Extension Forward

To begin our discussion of the arm stroke phases, we will focus on the
arm about to end its recovery.

The arm is fully extended, and the palm is facing outward.

The upper arm enters the water, then the elbow, forearm, and hand
follow along.

The hand enters the water in front of the shoulder and with the pinky
finger first.

The arm extends forward for a short time before starting the first
downsweep.

The entry should be gentle to avoid pushing water downward and

forward with the arm, which would increase drag.

First Downsweep
The first downsweep is non-propulsive and prepares the arm for the
catch.

The arm moves downward and outward.

The elbow bends gradually.

The palm and forearm are kept aligned and move into a backward and
outward facing position.

Catch
The catch is the phase of the arm stroke where the swimmer starts to
apply propulsive force.

The catch occurs at the end of the first downsweep when the arm is bent
about 90°, and the forearm and palm are facing outward and backward.

The upper arm, lower arm, and hand will keep their relative position over
the next two phases of the stroke cycle and move as one big paddle.
First Upsweep
While swimming backstroke, the first upsweep is the first propulsive
phase of the arm stroke.

During this phase, the whole arm moves backward, upward and inward as
a unit.

The arm also rotates so that the forearm and palm change from a
backward, downward and outward facing position to a backward, upward
and inward facing position.

The first upsweep ends when the hand is near the water surface and at
the level of the shoulder.

Upper arm and forearm are still angled at 90°, and the upper arm
maintains a certain distance from the rib cage.

Second Downsweep
The second downsweep is the second propulsive phase of the arm stroke.

The arm extends and moves downward, backward and outward.

The hand moves from a position near the surface at the end of the first
upsweep to a position much deeper than and away from the body.

The forearm is facing backward at the beginning of the downsweep and

facing downward and outward at the end of the downsweep.

So the forearm only pushes water backward at the beginning of the

downsweep.

The wrist flexes during the downsweep, so the palm is facing backward,
and the hand is pushing water backward for as long as possible.

At the end of the downsweep, the arm should be extended and the palm
is facing downward and outward.
Second Upsweep
Depending on the swimmer’s style, a third propulsive phase may be
added at the end of the second downsweep.

To do so, the palm is turned upward and backward, and the arm moves
upward, backward and inward toward the hip, pushing water backward
and upward.

Finally, the palm is turned inward to prepare for the release.

Swimmers that don’t add a third propulsive phase directly move their arm
upward toward the hip and turn the palm inward without pushing against
the water.

Release
The most common kind of release is done with the thumb pointing
upward and the palm turned inward.

No excessive force should be used during the release. Otherwise, water

will be unnecessarily pushed upward, increasing drag.

If you watch Ryan Lochte’s video above carefully, you’ll see that his palm
is facing downward and forward instead of inward during the upsweep
and release.

This probably is a kind of small propulsive second upsweep, but it also

adds some drag during the exit.

During the release, the shoulder of the recovering arm is shrugged

forward and upward, and the arm exits the water, first at the shoulder,
then the upper arm, forearm and hand follow along.

This is facilitated by the fact that the body has rolled toward the other
arm and the shoulder of the arm about to leave the water is already close
to the water surface.

Recovery above the water

The recovering arm moves in a half-circle from the hip to an upward-
pointing position to the overhead position where it enters the water
again.

During the recovery, the arm rotates so that the palm moves from an
inward facing position at the beginning of the recovery to an outward
facing position at the end of the recovery, before entering the water with
the pinky finger first.

During the recovery, the arm should be extended and neither too relaxed
nor too tense. It should move forward using the momentum of the exit
but also rest a bit after the propulsive underwater phases.

Arm Synchronization
• The arms move in an alternating fashion.
• While one arm is recovering above water, the other arm is
sweeping backward underwater.
• The stroking arm leaves the water and becomes the recovering
arm during the first downsweep of the other arm.
• The first half of the recovery continues during the first
downsweep and first upsweep of the other stroking arm.
• The second half of the recovery occurs during the second
downsweep of the stroking arm.
• The recovering arm enters the water at the end of the second
downsweep of the stroking arm.
• The recovering arm extends forward underwater during the
second upsweep of the stroking arm.
Additional Tips
1) As explained above, the body rolls toward the side of the recovering
arm during the second phase of the recovery.

Rolling from side to side moves the arm in a better starting position to
sweep underwater.
In this position, it is easier to engage the chest and back muscles, and less
strain is put on the shoulders.

2) Although the body rolls from side to side while swimming backstroke,
the head keeps a neutral position, with the back of the head in the water
and the face oriented toward the ceiling.

The Backstroke Kick – Swimming

Technique
The backstroke kick is a flutter kick. Its technique is similar to the kick
used in the front crawl stroke, the difference being that you are
swimming on the back.

Technique
The legs kick in an alternating up-down manner, where the hip drives the
kick.

In backstroke, you make quick up and down movements with your legs.
More precisely, the legs kick in vertical or oblique directions, depending
on the body’s position, because in backstroke the body rolls from side to
side. The feet are pointed.

Here’s a demonstration of the backstroke kick:

A swimmer demonstrating the backstroke flutter kick

The backstroke kick should use quick and compact movements for the
best efficiency. The feet should stay in the shadow of the swimmer’s body
and the knees should not break the water surface.

The kick will create drag and slow the swimmer down if it is too wide.

Upbeat
The upbeat starts when the lower leg is still moving downward from the
previous kick. The hip and leg flex and the upper leg starts moving
upward.
Shortly after that, the lower leg is dragged along upward, and the
pressure of the water pushes the foot in plantar flexion (foot pointed).

This is the beginning of the propulsive phase and water is pushed

backward by the lower leg and the foot.

Swimmers with flexible ankles are at an advantage here because they can
keep the top of the foot facing backward for a longer time and therefore
have better propulsion.

Downbeat
The downbeat starts while the lower leg is still moving upward. The hip
and knee extend, and the upper leg starts to move downward.

The lower leg is now facing upward rather than upward and backward
and doesn’t provide propulsion anymore. If the swimmer has flexible
ankles, the foot is still facing a bit backward and pushing water backward.

The propulsive phase of the kick ends when the leg is fully extended.
Shortly thereafter the whole leg is moving downward.

The pressure of the water against the back of the leg will keep it extended
until the next upbeat. The pressure of the water against the foot moves it
in a neutral position.

The downward movement of the leg should be more relaxed than the
upward movement so the leg muscles can rest.

Kicking Patterns
When swimming backstroke, most swimmers use a six-beat kicking
pattern. This pattern means each foot kicks three times per backstroke
cycle, for a total of six kicks. This six-beat kick produces the best
propulsion.

In longer distance swimming, a four-beat kick or a two-beat kick can be

used to save energy.
The swimmer must have good balance to use these slower kicking
patterns. A good drill that lets you practice balance is balance on the
back.

Synchronization Between Arms and Legs

The timing between arms and legs in the backstroke is similar to the
timing in front crawl when a six-beat kick is used.

The timing between the left arm and left leg is as follows (backstroke arm
movement described here):

1. The upbeat of the first kick occurs during the extension forward
and first downsweep of the arm.
2. The downbeat of the first kick occurs during the first upsweep of
the arm.
3. The upbeat of the second kick occurs during the second
downsweep and second upsweep of the arm.
4. The downbeat of the second kick occurs during the release and
beginning of the recovery of the arm.
5. The upbeat of the third kick occurs during the middle part of the
arm recovery.
6. The downbeat of the third kick occurs during the end of the arm
recovery.
The timing between the right arm and the right leg is of course similar.

Kick Purposes
The backstroke kick has two purposes:

1. It contributes to the swimmer’s propulsion. However, most

propulsion comes from the arm stroke.
2. It stabilizes the swimmer’s body in the water because the leg
movements balance out the arm movements.

Ankle flexibility
If the swimmer has poor ankle flexibility, he will not be able to point his
feet, and the propulsion of the legs will be lacking.

I have even seen cases where the flutter kick used without arm strokes
was moving the swimmer backward instead of forward because the
ankles were so stiff.

Regular use of swimming fins can improve the ankles’ flexibility over time
if they are stiff.

Swimming Backstroke – Breathing

Technique and Tips
Swimming backstroke poses a few challenges for breathing. You have to
keep your face above water to breathe, and splashing water can be a
problem.

But these difficulties can be overcome. This article explains how.

Breathing in backstroke poses a few challenges.

Keeping Your Face Above Water

To keep your face above the water surface, you need good balance. This
means you know how to position your body, so it stays horizontal in the
water.

This is more difficult in backstroke than in front crawl because you need
to balance while floating on your back.

Once you have mastered good balance, breathing becomes easy because
your face stays above water and there is no risk of inhaling water.

On the other hand, without balance, your face will sink beneath the
surface sooner or later, and breathing will be disrupted.
There are two aspects to balance in backstroke swimming:

1. You need an at least moderately effective flutter kick to keep

your legs up and provide propulsion. In the beginning, if your
kick is ineffective, you can use swimming fins as a helper.
2. You need to learn how to lean on your upper back to attain a
horizontal position. This helps to keep your hips and legs
up. Head-lead supine balance is an excellent swimming drill to
practice this technique.
While practicing balance or swimming backstroke, a nose clip can help
prevent getting water into your nose. You then only need to focus on
your mouth.

Later one you will be able to get rid of the nose clip once your technique
has improved.

Dealing with Splashing Water

Water splashing in your face during the arm recovery is another issue that
can disrupt your breathing. To avoid this, exhale at the moment when
water is projected in your face during the arm recovery.

It takes some practice, but over time it becomes second nature.

Inhaling quickly through the mouth and nose, then exhaling slowly
through the nose only while keeping the mouth shut also helps to keep
water out.

That’s because water can’t get into the nose as long as you are exhaling
and your mouth is closed.

Breathing Pattern
While swimming backstroke, a breathing pattern you can use is to inhale
during the recovery of one arm, then to exhale during the recovery of the
other arm. This breathing pattern is simple and efficient.
Another breathing pattern you can use is to breathe every arm stroke. To
do so, for each arm, inhale quickly at the beginning of the arm recovery,
then exhale slowly for the rest of the arm recovery.

This avoids the problem mentioned above of water getting projected into
your face and disrupting your breathing.

Elementary Backstroke: Swimming

Technique and Tips
The elementary backstroke is a basic swimming technique that is easy to
learn and, therefore, useful for improving your water confidence as a
beginner.

As its name indicates, it is swum on the back and uses a simple arm stroke
in conjunction with a breaststroke kick for propulsion.

Swimming Video
The following video demonstrates elementary backstroke:

Swimming Technique
We will now explain the swimming technique of the elementary
backstroke.

Initial Position and Glide Phase

Let’s start with the initial position and glide phase:

1) Turn towards the wall and push yourself off the wall with your feet.
Move into a horizontal position on your back.

Elementary Backstroke: Initial Position

2) Your head is in a neutral position, in line with your body.

3) Your face is above the water and turned upwards.

4) Your arms rest along your body.

5) Your palms face your body.

6) Your legs are extended and held together.

7) Glide a little before you start with the arm and leg movements.

First Active Phase – Chicken

1) Bend your elbows and draw your hands toward your armpits as if you
wanted to tickle yourself.

2) At the same time, bend your knees and bring your feet toward your
buttocks. Keep your legs together while you bend your knees.

Elementary Backstroke: Chicken Position

3) To illustrate this position to children and make it more fun, you can call
it chicken or monkey.

Second Active Phase – Eagle

4) Extend your arms sideways so that your body forms an X in the water.
Your palms should face backward.

5) Spread your legs while simultaneously extending them.

Elementary Backstroke: Eagle Position

6) For children, you can call this position eagle or plane.

Third Active Phase – Soldier

Finally, you perform the propulsive movements of this swimming stroke:

7) Move your outstretched arms backward and inward so that they push
against the water and return to their starting position at your sides.

8) Simultaneously move your legs together again. This also provides

propulsion and brings your legs back to their original position.

Elementary Backstroke: Soldier Position

9) You can call this position soldier or rocket for children.

Glide for a few moments then start a new stroke cycle.

Breathing

You inhale during the first phase of the swimming stroke, as you draw
your arms up to your armpits and your legs up to your buttocks.

You exhale during the next stages of the stroke cycle, as your arms and
legs move outward, backward, and inward back to the starting position.

Advantages of Elementary Backstroke

1) It is a swimming stroke that can be swum in a very relaxed way.

2) The elementary backstroke is swum on the back. This makes breathing

straightforward as the face is turned upwards and held above the water
surface.

Moreover, compared to regular backstroke, projections of water into the

face are prevented, as the arms remain underwater.

3) The arm movements are simple, symmetrical, and synchronous and,

therefore, easy to learn. Nevertheless, they are very effective.

4) The leg movements are also symmetrical and synchronous and

relatively easy to learn. The leg movements are similar to the ones used
in the breaststroke kick.

5) Finally, the arm and leg movements are also synchronous and are
performed in the same direction.

The arms and legs move forward during the first phase of the stroke, then
outward during the second phase, then backward and inward during the
third phase of the stroke.

Disadvantages of Elementary Backstroke

1) The elementary backstroke is slower than the regular backstroke.

2) You must have a certain degree of balance in the supine position (on
the back) before you can learn this swimming stroke.
3) Since you cannot look forward, it is difficult to swim in a straight line,
and you must be careful not to hit the wall or another swimmer.

Additional Tips
1) Practice this stroke in shallow water, where you can quickly regain your
feet if you are a novice swimmer.

2) If you are teaching children who cannot reach the bottom of the pool
with their feet, you should stay close to them and support their head and
back with your hands until they have mastered this swimming technique.

3) As described above, it can make sense for children to call the different
swimming phases chicken, eagle, and rocket because they capture well
the shape of the desired posture.

4) It can be useful to practice the head-lead supine balance drill before

learning elementary backstroke.

5) It can be useful to practice the arm and leg movements on solid ground
first.

6) It can be useful to practice the arm and leg movements separately in

the water using a pull buoy and a kickboard, respectively.

7) You will be more relaxed if you wear swimming goggles and a nose
clip because they keep the water out of your eyes and nose.

8) You can use a swimming noodle to support your back while swimming
the elementary backstroke.

Swimming Backstroke: How to Avoid

Bumping into the Wall with the Head
Our reader Suzanne writes:
While swimming backstroke, how do I avoid hitting the end of the pool
with my head?

It’s a fear I have, and it’s happened to me a couple of times which meant
the fear increased. I don’t like backstroke because I don’t know where I
am in the pool and how much pool length I have left.

Is there any recommended method to solve that? Swimming backstroke

would be good for my back…

Our Answer:
Hi Susanne,

It’s a legitimate fear to have, and especially so if you are a beginner. I use
several strategies to mitigate this:

1) Spot pool ladders: One strategy is to swim in a lane on one of the sides
of the pool. The ladders are usually located on the side walls, near the
ends of the pool. If you are swimming in one of these side lanes, you
should be able to see the ladder in the corner of your eye to know that
you are almost at the end of the pool.

2) Spot backstroke flags: Another strategy is to know that the backstroke

flags are located 15 foot (5 meters) from the end of the pool. So once
you’ve passed under them, you know that you can slow down because
you only have to do a few more arm strokes to get to the wall. At this
moment you can also roll your body face down and swim the rest of the
length glancing forward.

3) Observe the pool’s ceiling: A third strategy is to observe the ceiling of

the swimming pool and see if there are marker lines or other conspicuous
features that you can use to detect the end of the pool.

4) Keep one arm extended forward: As you approach the wall, you can
also stop stroking with your arms, and just do the flutter kicking with your
feet, and keep one arm extended forward until you touch the wall with
your hand.
5) Glancing forward overhead: This is a strategy you can use occasionally
if you have a healthy neck. Floating on your back, simply tilt your head
backwards, the back of your head sinking in the water, until your face is
turned up and forward instead of just up, and you can glance forward.
However, do not do this all the time as it can strain your neck.

Please note that with experience, you get a sense of how far away you
are from the wall, and you often don’t need to check for specific cues
anymore.

Also, in backstroke, as the arms alternate movements, one arm is usually

farther ahead than the top of the head, and so you often touch the wall
with your hand automatically.

Learn To Swim Backstroke: Drills and

Exercises

This article proposes a series of exercises for learning backstroke. The

backstroke is a swimming style that is swum on the back.

The arms perform similar but alternating movements. The arms recover
from the hips forward above water and pull back to the hips from the
front under water.

The legs perform a flutter kick. They kick alternately up and down.

You can find out more about the swimming technique of

the backstroke here.

Swimming Drills and Exercises

Learn The Flutter Kick

Learn The Flutter Kick In Backstroke: Knowing how to maintain balance in

the supine position (on the back) and how to perform the flutter kick are
important prerequisites for learning the backstroke.
This article teaches you this basic swimming technique.

Head-Lead Supine Balance Drill

Learn To Swim Backstroke – Head-Lead Supine Balance Drill: This is an

important drill to learn the backstroke, as it teaches how to be balanced
and supported on the back using the lungs’ buoyancy.

Being balanced means that the body is horizontal in the water while
swimming the backstroke.

Head-Lead Side Balance Drills

Learn To Swim Backstroke – Head-Lead Side Balance Drills: These

swimming drills are the next in the sequence to learn how to swim
backstroke.

Here you’ll learn how to float more on the sides rather than flat on the
back and using a supple flutter kick.

Learn The Arm Stroke On Dry Land

Backstroke Technique Drills – Learn The Arm Stroke On Dry Land: This
article demonstrates how to do the arm movements in backstroke.

Learning the arm movements is easier when you first rehearse them on
dry land.

Hand-Lead Side Balance Drill

Learn To Swim Backstroke – Hand-Lead Side Balance Drill: The next drill to
learn to swim backstroke is a simple variation of the head-lead side
balance drill.

But instead of keeping both arms at your sides, you’ll extend one arm in
front of you while keeping the other at your side.

This teaches you how to keep balance while swimming on the side with
an extended arm.

Under Water Arm Sweeps

Learning to Swim Backstroke – Under Water Arm Sweeps: The next
swimming drill to learn to swim backstroke lets you practice your balance
in combination with underwater arm sweeps for propulsion.

Single-Arm Backstroke Drill

Learning to Swim Backstroke – Single-Arm Backstroke: The next

swimming drills let you practice the arm recovery above the water.

However, to learn the arm movements correctly and to keep things

simple, you’ll only practice one arm at a time.

This lets you focus better on the arm movements and avoids
synchronization issues between both arms.

Slide and Glide Drills

Learning to Swim Backstroke – Slide and Glide Drills: The Slide and Glide
swimming drills are the last ones of our series to learn to swim
backstroke.

You will now practice simultaneous arm movements.

Learning Path for the Backstroke

Below is an overview of our series of articles on learning the backstroke.
Each article in this series contains one or more drills that have to be
mastered. The current article is highlighted:

• Learn To Swim Backstroke: Drills and Exercises

• Learn How to Flutter Kick in the Backstroke
• Backstroke Swimming Drills – Head-Lead Supine Balance
• Backstroke Swimming Drills – Head-Lead Side Balance
• Backstroke Technique: Arm Stroke Drills on Dry Land
• Backstroke Swimming Drills – Hand-Lead Side balance
• Backstroke Swimming Drills – Under Water Arm Sweeps
 • Backstroke Swimming Drills – Single-Arm Backstroke
• Backstroke Swimming Drills – Slide and Glide Backstroke
Once you have gone through all the steps of this learning path, you
should be able to swim backstroke without any problems.

Learn How to Flutter Kick in the

Backstroke
The flutter kick is a simple yet efficient swimming technique where you
keep your legs parallel and alternatively kick upward and downward with
each leg.

The flutter kick is used in the backstroke but also in the front crawl
stroke to provide balance and propulsion. See the backstroke kick article
for a more detailed description.

Knowing how to do the flutter kick in a supine position (on the back) is an
important prerequisite to learn how to swim backstroke.

Video Demonstration
The following video demonstrates a few exercises to practice this
technique. Please find additional instructions further below.

Kicking Exercises
The following exercises can be used to learn the flutter kick:

Exercise #1: Go to the shallow area of the pool. Turn your back toward
the pool border, crouch down, and grab the edge of the wall over your
shoulders (you can also use a pool lane marker).

Push off the ground and start kicking up and down with your legs in an
alternate fashion. Your feet should be pointed, and the kicking motion
should originate from your hips.
Use the kick to bring your body into a horizontal position. Finally extend
your arms, still holding the pool edge, until your body is straight.

Exercise #2: Repeat the previous exercise and try to get balanced to the
point where you can hold the edge of the wall with your fingertips. To do
this you must have your head, torso, and legs perfectly aligned.

Taking a deep breath to fill your lungs with air before the exercise also
helps.

Exercise #3: Repeat the previous exercise, and when you are at the point
where you are holding the edge of the wall with your fingertips, just let
go. Keep kicking and enjoy the feeling of floating in a perfectly balanced
position.

Exercise #4: Turn your back toward the pool, push off, and get into a
supine position with your arms extended overhead. Flutter kick. Try to
experience the feeling of perfect balance like you did in the previous drill.

Additional Tips
Tip #1: To avoid getting water in your eyes or your nose, use swimming
goggles and a nose clip.

Tip #2: If your ankles are stiff, it could be difficult for you to flex your feet
away from your body.

In that case, the use of swim fins can help loosen up your ankles, and they
will become more flexible over time. Use Zoomers as their short blades
will keep the kick similar to a finless kick.

Tip #3: If it is difficult for you to get your arms in front of your head in the
last exercise, it could be that your shoulders and chest are stiff and this
will impede balance. Regular rotator cuff stretches will loosen things up.

Tip #4: If your hips and legs still drop while kicking, it could be that your
upper body is too high in the water.
Try to push your head and chest a little more into the water. The
buoyancy of your lungs should then make your legs and hips come up.

Tip #5: Another common mistake is to have an angle between your torso
and your legs, which makes the whole body sink. So make sure to get
your upper and lower body aligned.

Tip #6: A friend or swim buddy can be of great help to spot mistakes that
prevent you from finding good balance.

Backstroke Swimming Drills – Head-Lead

Supine Balance
Head-lead supine balance is an important drill to learn to swim
backstroke, as it teaches how to be balanced and supported on your back
using the buoyancy of your lungs.

Being balanced while swimming backstroke means that you can easily
keep your body in a horizontal position in the water.

Swimming Drill Instructions

Here are the instructions to practice this drill. You can find an illustrative
video a bit further below.

The drill will be easier to learn if you already have practiced some of the
exercises to learn the flutter kick in backstroke. Do the following:

• Put on a pair of swimming goggles.

• Put on a nose clip if you are afraid of getting water into the nose.
• Go to the shallow area of the pool.
• Push off the ground and get into a horizontal position on the
back.
• Start to flutter kick to provide for propulsion and to get into a
horizontal position.
 • Leave the arms along the sides of the body.
• Now try to move forward only using a flutter kick for propulsion
and without using the arms for balance.

As a beginner, it will most likely be difficult for you to keep your balance.
Therefore, keep the following points in mind:

1) You need to ensure that your body is in a straight line from head to
toes. A friend or your swim teacher can be of great help to spot mistakes
in your posture, for example, if you are bending the body at the hips.

2) If your legs and hips tend to sink, don’t kick harder. Try instead to push
the back of the head and the upper back down in the water. Because your
lungs are buoyant, this will create leverage and push the hips and legs up
to the surface.

This last point is the most important insight you can get from this
backstroke exercise.

Once you have learned how to push your upper body down in the water
to keep the legs and hips up, it will become second nature.

As a consequence, you won’t need to kick so hard anymore, which will

allow you to breathe more easily.

Video Demonstration
The video below demonstrates the swimming drill covered in this article:

Additional Tips
Use swim fins if your flutter kick doesn’t provide enough propulsion.

To be more relaxed you can use swimming goggles and a nose clip. This
avoids that water enters the eyes or the nose.

When learning to balance on your back, the best strategy can be to hold
your breath and practice the drill for a few seconds, then stop to take a
breath, and start again.
Finally, once you have learned how to keep balance on your back, you can
remove the nose clip and breathe freely.

Conclusion
Once you can keep balance on the back using only a flutter kick for
propulsion, you are a big step forward on your journey to learn to swim
the backstroke. So take your time to master this drill and have fun while
practicing!

Backstroke Swimming Drills – Head-Lead

Side Balance
Head-lead side balance drills are the next swimming drills in our series
of backstroke swimming drills.

With these drills, you’ll practice floating more on the side rather than
floating flat on your back. A relaxed flutter kick is used for propulsion.

Swimming on the Side?

If you observe a backstroke swimmer with attention, you’ll notice that he
doesn’t keep his back parallel to the water surface, but that he instead
rolls from to side to side towards the pulling arm.

If you are new to backstroke this might surprise you, but there are several
good reasons to do this:

• It allows engaging the bigger chest and back muscles in addition

to the shoulder muscles, giving better propulsion.
• It puts less strain on the shoulder and helps prevent
the swimmer’s shoulder injury.
• As the shoulder of the recovering arm clears the water, less drag
is produced in the water.
• The momentum generated by the body roll provides additional
power to the arms and legs.
But let’s get back to our side balance drills. Subsequent drills will cover
the arm movements.

Swimming Drill: Head-Lead Side balance

The side position you are aiming for is somewhere between being flat in
the water with the back and being rotated 90° away from the water
surface.

The exact position will be different for each swimmer, but for most
people, the angle lies somewhere between 30 and 45°.

Here’s a video of the first drill:

The drill starts exactly like head-lead supine balance:

• Go to the shallow area of the pool.

• Push off the ground and lie on your back in the water.
• Keep the arms at your side.
• Start to flutter kick for propulsion.
• Try to get your body in a straight line from head to toes.
Remember to push down the back of the head and upper back
into the water if the legs and hips tend to drop.
• Look straight up towards the ceiling or sky.
Once you are comfortable on your back, roll more into a side position:

• Roll from shoulders to toes so that the body is at an angle

somewhere around 45° compared to the water surface.
• Everything rolls except the head which should stay in place. You
should still be looking straight up.
• To roll the body, kick harder with one leg than the other. Don’t
use your arms, always keep them at your sides.
• Experiment with various angles of rotation to find the most
comfortable position.
 • To keep your legs and hips up, you’ll have to change the point
where you push your upper body down in the water for
leverage. The point will be located somewhere between the
spine and the bottom shoulder.
• Practice this drill on each side, changing sides each length, until
you are comfortable and can keep the balance on the side
forever.

Swimming Drill: Rolling from Side to Side

Once you can comfortably keep your side balance for the whole length,
try to roll from side to side every few kicks.

This will add a dynamic component to the swimming drill where you must
adjust your balance as you roll from side to side.

Take your time to master this drill until you feel comfortable rolling from
side to side. Remember to look straight up towards the ceiling all the
time.

Conclusion
The main difficulty when you learn to swim backstroke is to keep your
balance while floating on the back.

Once you have mastered the swimming drills up to the ones on this page,
you’ll already be a long way towards that goal.

The next step we will be to add arm movements, which we’ll cover in the
following drills.

Backstroke Technique: Arm Stroke Drills

on Dry Land
This article is about the swimming technique of the backstroke and covers
the arm stroke movements.
This article is part of our series of articles to learn how to swim the
backstroke.

Video Demonstration
Learning the arm movements is easier when you first practice them on
dry land, as we illustrates in the video below:

Backstroke Arm Stroke – Instructions

Let’s now go through the arm motions for one arm’s complete backstroke
swimming cycle.

Please note that the names of the different swim phases (recovery,
downsweep, upsweep, …) are related to the swimmer’s position in the
water.

However, the explanations for the movements are related to the standing
position used in this article.

Initial Position

Stand straight with both arms at your sides. The palms are turned
towards the body.

Recovery

Elevate the right arm in front of you, keeping it extended. When the arm
arrives at shoulder level, start to rotate the palm outwards.

At the same time turn the torso towards the elevating arm. Continue to
elevate the arm until it arrives in an overhead position.

First Downsweep

Bend the arm at the elbow so that the hand moves out and downward
and the elbow moves backward. At the same time, the palm rotates so
that it is at an angle of about 45° with the water surface.
In the water, during the downsweep, no force is applied to the arm. It just
moves down into the right position to start the propulsive phase.

Catch

The catch is the moment in the backstroke technique when the arm starts
to push against the water to provide propulsion. In our example, this
happens when the elbow is bent about 90°.

Upsweep

The hand moves in, forward and downward until it is close to the rib cage
with the palm parallel to the ground. This is the start of the propulsive
phase.

Second Downsweep

The hand continues to move downward, the elbow extends, and the palm
turns backward. This is the end of the propulsive phase of the backstroke
technique.

Exit and Recovery

The extended arm moves up, the palm turns in, and the hand brushes
past the hip to start the recovery as explained above.

Synchronizing Both Arms

Repeat these drill instructions individually with each arm until you have
memorized the backstroke arm movements for both arms.

Then try to synchronize both arms: basically, what you need to do is to

move one arm downwards while the other arm recovers upwards. Start
both motions at the same time.

Conclusion
Once you have mastered both arm motions on dry land, you are a big
step closer to learning the backstroke technique. The next backstroke
drills will teach you how to swim backstroke in the water.

Backstroke Swimming Drills – Hand-Lead

Side balance
Hand-Lead Side Balance is the next drill in our series to learn to swim
backstroke. It is a variation of the previously covered head-lead side
balance swimming drill.

In the video below you will see that you keep one arm extended forward
while you hold the other arm at your side.

This teaches you how to maintain balance while swimming on your side
and having one arm extended overhead.

This is typically the position you are in at the end of the arm recovery
before starting the propulsive arm sweep in the water.

Video Demonstration
The following video demonstrates Hand-Lead Side Balance:

Swimming Drill Instructions

The drill starts in the same way as Head-Lead Side Balance:

• Go to the shallow area of the pool.

• Lean on your back, push off the ground, start to flutter kick and
get into a horizontal position, with both arms resting at your
sides.
• Once you feel balanced, roll to one of your sides, and adjust your
balance again.

Once you feel comfortable flutter kicking in this side position, sneak up
one of your arms and extend it overhead.
 • When the arm is extended, the palm should either face the side
wall or the ground.
• Try to get balanced again in this new position.
• Keep this position for the rest of the length, and switch sides for
each new pool length.
Some Tips
Experiment with the depth of the arm in the water until you find its ideal
position. For some people, the arm is nearly parallel to the water surface
while for others, the arm is angled down 45° or more.

You should notice that in this position it is easier to keep your hips and
legs up, as the extended arm provides additional leverage.

As you are taller with the extended arm, you should also feel that you slip
better through the water and need to kick less to travel at the same
speed than in head-lead side balance.

Backstroke Swimming Drills – Underwater

Arm Sweeps
Underwater Arm Sweeps is the next one of our swimming drills to learn to
swim backstroke.

This particular drill lets you practice both balance and the underwater
movements of the arm stroke.

All the backstroke drills you practiced up to now focused on balance while
using a flutter kick for propulsion. The arms always remained static.

But now you’ll start to add the arm movements to your stroke.

For now, to keep things simple, you’ll only move one arm at a time and
also only practice the underwater portion of the arm stroke.

Video Demonstration
The video below illustrates this swimming drill:
Swimming Drill Instructions
This drill is an extension of Hand-Lead Side Balance. So the beginning is
the same:

• Go to the shallow area of the pool.

• Lean on your back.
• Start to flutter kick.
• Get into a horizontal position on your back.
• Roll on one of your sides.
• Extend one arm overhead, keep the other arm at your side.

Once you are balanced and comfortable in that position, do the following:

• Angle your wrist so that your palm is facing backward.

• Start to push back against the water with your palm, and execute
the propulsive underwater arm sweep.
• Keep the other arm at your side.
• Both arms should be at your sides once you have finished your
arm sweep.
• Now extend your other arm overhead, then execute the arm
sweep with that arm, and so on.
Additional Tips
Focus on both your balance and your underwater arm movements.

With each arm sweep, roll from one side to the other like you learned to
do in the Head-Lead Side Balance Drill.

As you roll from side to side and your weight shifts accordingly, you’ll
need to adjust your balance on the fly.

Try to keep your head still and the face parallel to the water surface.
Backstroke Swimming Drills – Single-Arm
Backstroke
In the following drills to learn to swim backstroke, you’ll practice the arm
recovery above water in addition to the underwater arm sweep you
learned previously.

However, to keep things simple, you’ll practice the arm stroke

movements one arm at a time.

This allows you to sidestep coordination issues that can occur when you
move both arms simultaneously. This also allows you to better focus on
the arm movements.

Single-Arm Backstroke, Idle Arm Resting Overhead

The first swimming drill lets you execute the arm stroke movements with
one arm while the other one is extended overhead:

This drill starts exactly like the previous backstroke drills:

• Go to the shallow area of the pool.

• Lean on your back.
• Push off the ground.
• Start to flutter kick.
• Keep both arms at your sides.
• Get into a horizontal position on your back.
• Your head is aligned with your spine, and you look straight up
towards the ceiling.
• Once you feel balanced in that position, extend one of your arms
forward under water. You’ll keep that arm in this position for the
rest of the length.

Start the recovery above water with the other arm, using a correct
technique:
 • Your arm starts extended along your side, with the palm turned
inwards.
• Your arm exits the water thumb first and elevates in a circular
movement until it points straight up, at a 90° angle with the
water surface.
• Your arm continues its half-circular movement forward, and the
palm starts to rotate outwards.
• Finally, your arm enters the water in front of you with the pinky
finger first.
• Your other arm doesn’t move and is extended forward all the
time.
Once you’ve finished the arm recovery, your active arm starts its
propulsive underwater phase. You practiced this in Under Water Arm
Sweeps:

• Your arm is extended forward.

• Angle your wrist.
• Turn your palm so that it is facing backward.
• Bend your elbow and start to push back against the water with
your palm and forearm.
• Sweep backward with your arm until your hand arrives at the
level of your hips, and your arm is straight again.
• At that moment, exit the water thumb first with the active arm
and start the recovery.

You should change the active arm with each length. Please practice this
swimming drill until you can keep your balance from head to toes all the
time, even during the arm recovery above water.

Single-Arm Backstroke, Idle Arm Resting at the Side

The next drill to learn to swim backstroke is similar to the previous one,
but instead of keeping the idle arm extended forward, you’ll keep it at
your side.
This makes this swimming drill more difficult than the previous one
because the idle arm isn’t there to provide buoyancy to your head when
the other arm ends its recovery forward.

Here’s a video that demonstrates the drill:

Additional Tips
Don’t forget to roll from side to side. The shoulder of the active arm rises
above water during the recovery and drops down during the underwater
arm sweep.

Backstroke Swimming Drills – Slide and

Glide Backstroke
The Slide and Glide swimming drills described below are the last ones in
our series of drills to learn to swim backstroke.

With these drills, you’ll finally practice simultaneous arm stroke

movements with both arms.

However, you will include short pauses between arm strokes to rehearse
the correct execution of these movements and also to restore the
horizontal balance of your body.

Slide and Glide Swimming Drill

Here’s a video that demonstrates the first drill, Slide and Glide:

You use the whole-stroke backstroke movements in the Slide and Glide
drill. However, you add a short pause after each active arm phase. To get
started do the following:

• Go to the shallow area of the pool.

• Lean on your back.
• Start to flutter kick.
 • Get into a horizontal position.
• Extend one arm in front of you, keep the other arm at your side.
• Make sure you are balanced in this position.

Now simultaneously execute a half arm stroke cycle with both arms:

• The arm extended in front of you executes the propulsive phase

underwater you practiced in Under Water Arm Sweeps.
• The arm at your side executes the recovery above water you
practiced in Single-Arm Backstroke.
• When the arms have exchanged their respective positions,
observe a pause for a few flutter kicks.
• After a few flutter kicks (for example three kicks on each side),
execute a half arm stroke cycle again. Both arms are back to
their initial position.
• Continue to practice the simultaneous arm motions for several
lengths.
Swimming Tips
Head position: Keep the head as still and possible, avoid that it rolls from
side to side.

You should look straight up at the ceiling. The chin should neither be
extended nor tucked in.

Body movements: The rest of the body should roll from side to side as
the arms exchange their roles. The angle of the roll should be somewhere
between 30° and 45°.

Arm movements: Both arm movements should start and stop

simultaneously.

Take advantage of the short pause between each half arm cycle to
rehearse the correct arm movements and to regain your balance.

Triple Slide and Glide

The next drill to learn to swim the backstroke is a variation of the
simple Slide and Glide swimming drill.

However now you execute three complete arm cycles before observing a
pause for a few kicks.

This allows you to practice whole-stroke real backstroke in short bursts.

Backstroke Swimming Drills: Triple Slide and Glide

Play Video

Focus mainly on the body roll from side to side to increase the swimming
stroke’s power.

Finally Swimming Backstroke

Finally, once you have mastered all the backstroke drills, try to swim
backstroke for a few lengths. This shouldn’t be too difficult to do if you
have followed our progression of backstroke swimming drills.

Relaxed Backstroke Swimming

Play Video

Conclusion
Congratulations! You are now a backstroke swimmer! Enjoy your new
swimming abilities! And why not try to tackle another swimming stroke?