**Common Backstroke Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Mistake # 8: Improper Body Position**

The three most common body-position mistakes are  #1… bending at the waist and dropping the hips 

Two…head too far back or chin too far down.

And three… head held too high.

It all starts with the head. The head should rest in the water and there should be no tension in the neck from the swimmer trying to hold up the head.

The eyes should be looking either directly up…

…or looking up at a point directly above the feet.   This helps round the shoulders and gives more power to the arms.  The head, however, is still resting comfortably in the water.   The water covers the ears and surrounds the face.

If the head is in the correct position, the hips will usually be in the correct position, which means they’ll ride a bit higher in the water. 

The swimmer also needs to have a “tucked under” position of the hips so that there isn’t an arch in the lower back. 

Kicking drills with a focus on body position and proper core engagement, like this, will help the swimmer transfer this technique to the full stroke.


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Mistake #8 - Improper Body Position