How to swim a backstroke?

Almost everyone love the water which is why parents tend to invest in pool floats to start teaching their kids swimming in order to get them used to the idea of staying in water without fearing it. Swimming is quite versatile thus various professionals swim in their own way and have their own set of techniques.

Backstroke is one of the four competitive strokes that require you to swim on the back. When it comes to speed it is slower than the front crawl but on the other hand, it is faster than the breaststroke. So in this article, we are going to look at the step by step guide that illustrates how you can swim backstroke and tips that can help you improve your backstroke techniques.

How to swim a backstroke?

If you are a beginner and want to go through the wordy description first and then try the actual technique in the water then carefully read through the steps mentioned below because they will help you get an idea what motions you need to perform in order to do a backstroke.

1. Firstly, you will be floating in the water on your back entirely.

2. Next, you need to make sure that your head is in line with your spine in a neutral position.

3. Now you have to move your face in the upwards direction and try to look straight up in order to get into the position.

4. Now make sure that your toes are pointed and move your legs in the alternatively in the upwards and downwards direction. Commonly this motion is also known as the flutter kick.

5. Now it is time that you move your arms alternatively with your legs. Remember that your arms are going to provide you with the push so you have to make sure that you are carrying on the accurate motion if you want to carry out the backstroke smoothly.

6. Place your one arm over the water and the other under the water. The arm above the water needs to move in the semi-circular position from the pelvic region to the overhead position whereas the other arm that is under the water moves in the position semi-circular motion from the overhead position to the pelvic region.

7. You will be carrying out an S like motion when you perform this sweep.

8. The arm that is in motion is known as the sweeping arm whereas the arm that is relaxing in known as the recovery arm. Make sure that your arms are kept straight during the recovery motion.

Tips for mastering the backstroke technique

We have gathered some great tips and tricks from the professional swimmers that will help you carry out a backstroke smoothly. If you already know them then great but if you don’t then take a minute to read through them.

Keep your body posture straight

Your body posture matters a lot in a backstroke. Most people find it hard to keep their hips in line with their hips but if you want to carry out a backstroke smoothly then you need to keep your hips as close to the surface as possible to remain in a straight position.

Breathy only once per cycle

Steady breathing is important when you are performing the backstroke as your body needs the energy to pull you through the water. So it is advised that you breathe in when one arm leaves the water and breathe out when it returns to its initial position.

Look at the ceiling

In order to carry out the backstroke smoothly, you need to keep your body posture as straight as possible which is why it is advised to look at the ceiling so that you don’t drift here and there in the pool. If you are in the open then you can always look at the clouds as well.

Accelerate the motion of your arms

As mentioned above, your arms are your main source of power. In order to increase the speed, you need to accelerate the motion of your arms because it will maximize your pull. The more speedily you perform the motion, the more force you will feel which will pull you across the water much quicker.