Backstroke Full Technique
Swim 10–15 meters of backstroke. The child alternates arm rotations in a clockwise motion, turning the hand outward at the highest point. As the hands enter the water, they push it backward to generate arm propulsion. The legs provide additional propulsion and stability through a flutter kick. This version of backstroke is an introductory form and will be progressively refined in future lessons.
Preparation Exercises
Pulling lanes
The child swims 25 meters of backstroke. In most indoor and outdoor pools, there are lane ropes that separate the lanes. In this exercise, the child is allowed to pull on the lane rope—an exception to the usual rule. The child swims close to the rope. Instead of doing regular arm strokes, they grab the rope at the point where their hand would normally enter the water. Then, just like in backstroke, there is a pull phase and a push phase. The rope is first pulled over the head, and as soon as the shoulder passes the hand, the child pushes against it. Interestingly, swimmers who usually try to "cheat" by pulling themselves along the lane ropes often turn out to be the best backstrokers—because the advanced backstroke arm movement closely resembles the motion used when pulling on the rope.
duck swimming
In this exercise, the swimmer is on their back. The arms lie alongside the body, with the elbows lightly touching the torso just above the hips. The legs perform a gentle flutter kick. Then, an attempt is made to generate propulsion using the forearms. To do this, the forearms are alternately angled outwards (at the outermost point about 20 cm deep). The palms face backward, allowing them to push the water away behind the body. The water is then pushed backward—alternating between both hands. The elbows remain close to the body at all times. This exercise trains the power phase of the arm movement in advanced backstroke. Admittedly, the explanation above is a bit complex. We therefore recommend watching the video of the core exercise again and paying close attention to the second half of the underwater phase of the arm stroke. This exact phase is isolated and practiced during the duck swim.
Backstroke simultaneous arm pull
The child ideally uses a pull buoy or a kickboard between their legs and performs a backstroke simultaneous arm pull. This means both arms move in sync, rotating and pushing the water backward simultaneously. This exercise helps improve water displacement during the arm stroke. As mentioned earlier, the backstroke in this core exercise is still a beginner's version and differs significantly from the backstroke used by competitive swimmers. In this early form, most propulsion for children comes from the legs. However, it is important for them to at least try to push the water backward with their arms. The arms should first pull the water, and once they pass the shoulders, transition into a push phase.
Häufige Fehler
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Forgotten kick
Many children focus all their attention on the newly learned arm stroke, which often causes them to forget about their kick, leading their legs to sink. However, the kick is crucial as it provides the necessary stability in the water, enabling proper arm movements. In this early phase, the kick also serves as the primary source of propulsion. To address this issue, exercises with a limited number of arm strokes are helpful. Additionally, you can suggest an alternative exercise where your child moves their arms in slow motion while putting all their effort into the kick. Make sure to extensively practice "otter swimming" before moving on to backstroke.
Too rushed
Many children jump into the water after practicing on land and immediately get overly excited. This often results in their arms flailing uncontrollably and without coordination, disrupting their balance in the water. Ultimately, they end up completely exhausted, clinging to the pool edge after just a few meters. To address this issue, the preparatory exercise with minimal arm strokes is very effective. Additionally, you can encourage your child to swim in slow motion with their arms while focusing on strong, consistent kicking with their legs.
