Teaching Backstroke

Backstroke Drill 1: Streamline kick (Focus head position, eyes up)

Backstroke starts with good body position, and the body goes where the eyes look. By streamline kicking, it forces the head back and eyes look up. We want kids to remember this head position as they progress through the drills.

Backstroke Drill 2: Single Arm Kick (Focus head position, eyes up)

Backstroke Drill 3: 6'n Roll on Back (Focus head position, eyes up)

Backstroke starts with good body position, and the body goes where the eyes look. While rotating the arms every few kicks, we slow down the stroke to give kids time to think about their head position while the arms move.

Backstroke Drill 4: L-Hold (Focus arm position, straight up)

We want the arm recovery to be straight up, avoiding side to side swings. This is a tough drill and may need to add fins to help.

Backstroke Drill 4.5: L-Hold Rotated (Focus arm position, straight up)

We want the arm recovery to be straight up with rotated shoulder out of the water. This is a tough drill and may need to add fins to help.

Backstroke Drill 5: L-Drill (Focus arm position, straight up)

We want the arm recovery to be straight up, avoiding side to side swings. Now we add sporadic strokes, but pause at the L position to slow things down.

Backstroke Drill 6: Full Backstroke (Focus arm position, straight up)

Now to put it all together: head position, arm position, shoulder/hip rotation.

_____________________________________________________________

Optional drills are not for every day use. They can cause more problems than they solve. We use them to fix specific problems. Just a tool in the toolbox.

Optional Backstroke Drill: Single arm back (Focus arm pull pattern)

The backstroke pull should start from a point of rotation and follow a gentle (shallow) sideways S- pattern to increase distance per stroke. Practice one arm at a time can help.