With newbie swimmers, many instructors take the approach of teaching backstroke before teaching any of the other strokes, including freestyle. There are many advantages: 1) swimmers have constant access to AIR when on their back. 2) instructors can communicate in real time with hand signals, 3) skills learned in backstroke translate directly to skills needed in freestyle. This week we share time-tested progressions for teaching backstroke.

**Monday**

**Freestyle 101: Head-Lead Kick on Your Back**

Head-Lead Kick on Your Back teaches correct body alignment for swimming on your back. It also helps you learn to relax and trust that the water will support you with just a small amount of effort.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1378-head-lead-kick-on-your-back> 

:05 - balance and comfort

:07 - ease of movement - very little effort

:12 - knees just kissing the surface

:19 - water encircling the face

:19 - chest and torso

:30 - overriding feeling of relaxation

:45 - over pressing and feeling the water support you - don’t release too much air

:49 - as you press the upper back and head in, feel the hips rise

1:10 - boil the water with your feet

1:25 - everyone will have a little different balance point

1:38 - keep playing

**Tuesday**

**Freestyle 101: Head-Lead Kick on Your Back – Side to Side**

From kicking flat on your back, progress to a more active kick, tilting just slightly from one side to the other. Keep the head steady as you rotate – a key backstroke skill!

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1384-head-lead-kick-on-your-back-side-to-side> 

:04 - same as before but more on your side

:05 - slightly stack the shoulders one up, one down

:06 - rotate from one shoulder up to the other - head remains absolutely still

:16 - try to keep as much of the upper arm dry as possible… while still having it against your side

:18 - keep the head stable as you rotate

:20 - arm very dry

:21 - face at borderline

:22 - body will balance and come up

:25 - flatter body can be higher

:27 - once you get on your side, you may sink a bit

:29 - you may rotate Less to one side

:31 - than the other

:39 - very stable head during rotation

:45 - keep the eyes up

:49 - continue to experiment with how much you rotate

:54 - watch the body settle after the rotation

1:02 - could possibly bring the chin down a little

1:12 - not as smooth of rotation, still work to do

1:16 - immediate sink (creative editing)

1:17 - be conscious of when to breathe

1:23 - after the rotation - settle

**Wednesday**

**Freestyle 101: Position 11 Kick on Your Back**

Kicking on your back with both arms extended in “Position 11” helps develop great body alignment for backstroke and freestyle.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1416-position-11-kick-on-your-back> 

:03 - feeling long through the torso

:06 - hands slightly under the surface

:13 - great line

:21 - flat surface keeps the head a bit higher

:25 - flexibility through the shoulders

:30 - tighter shoulders impact balance

:33 - can’t straighten the arms in this position.

:36 - the reach impacts balance

:38 - arch in the lower back

:39 - head in neutral and in a good position - hands above the surface

:41 - by leaning back, look at the hip position

:51 - still not incredibly comfortable - but much better

1:01 - great line

1:09 - hands under - head relaxed - flexibility!

1:13 - torso on the surface

1:17 - if you’re too tight, try one arm still flat on your back

**Thursday**

**Glenn EP: Continuous Single Arm Position -11 Backstroke**

This foundational drill/skill helps swimmers identify how their hand connects with the water. It teaches stable head position and constant kick. It introduces the “rhythm” of backstroke. It also prepares swimmers for a fundamental freestyle drill: Position-11 Freestyle.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1733-continuous-single-arm-position-11-back>

:07 - start as in the previous drill

:08 - when you feel ready, initiate a pull 

:10 - recover back in position 11

:11 - alternate arms

:25 - continue alternating

:40 - typical EP issue, gravity pulls the hips down slightly

:53 - rotate the body into the catch

1:01 - to keep focus, if it’s too hard, add some fins

1:06 - Focus on an early catch

1:11 - speed the water up

1:36 - stretch to the catch

**Friday**

**Haufler Backstroke: Step #3**

Here’s Steve Haufler’s progression for teaching backstroke arm action. He employs positioning techniques and single-arm drills to help newbie swimmers become backstrokers.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1269-step-3-teach-backstroke-arm-action> 

:03 - Posture first

:04 - think of the straight line recovery

:08 - full body core posture

:14 - relaxed recovery

:33 - think on your side

:39 - straight recovery to pinky entry

:53 - rotate the shoulder and torso, not the head

1:16 - straight entry

1:25 - shape the arm into the early catch position

1:35 - high elbow - pressure on palm

1:50 - watch the initial movement - whole arm drops

1:54 - adding some pressure keeps the upper arm in place

2:01 - keep the pressure and the shape of the arm

2:07 - the slight focus on the elbow

2:20 - same positions in the water

2:32 - remind the athlete to stay straight but relaxed

2:34 - the proper positioning of the hand helps the body rotate

3:05 - adding pressure and position to the catch

3:19 - hand pressure

3:26 - repeat the movement

3:39 - swimmer will lead with the elbow

3:52 - finish with the thumb up

4:12 - keep the palm facing back for as long as possible

4:54 - single arm with singular focus

5:01 - practice the SHAPE

5:42 - full torso rotation

6:02 - add the other arm

**Saturday**

**Freestyle 101: The Wave**

The Wave is a transitional drill that leads beginners from simple kick on the back, to adding the arm motions of backstroke.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1420-the-wave> 

:07 - start in single arm position-11

:11 - after you’re balanced, initiate a recovery with the trailing arm

:12 - don’t recover the entire way… only 1/4 or 1/2 way.

:13 - put the arm back down

:15 - repeat and continue down the lane

:25 - for those with balance challenges, make sure you don’t lift the arm too high - down parascope

:30 - don’t hold for too long either

:48 - with great balance, she can go to 90° and hold

:52 - without great balance, just lift the hand and put it back

**Sunday**

**Freestyle 101: 7-Count Backstroke**

Here’s where beginning swimmers start to put it all together. Have them progress from 7-Count to 5-Count to 3-Count to 1-Count (“normal”) backstroke.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1423-7-count-backstroke> 

:03 - start in hand lead side line balance

:04 - initiate a wave

:05 - as the recovery hand starts the body to shift, initiate a catch with the lead hand

:06 - land on the other side for a balanced side kick

:08 - repeat

:21 - this is a timing drill - initiate the wave prior to pulling

:23.9 - we’re looking for a connection with the arm set in a catch position and the weight of the body shifting

:34 - hand exits JUST before the lead hand starts the catch

:37 - hand exits JUST before the lead hand starts the catch

:44 - the picture you’re going for

1:02 - great catch position right before the hand enters

1:08 - it’s a controlled backstroke - he can start the catch a bit sooner

1:17 - beautiful IF the lead arm was just a bit more in the catch position

1:18 - but we can see he’s using a straight arm pull, which means we need to back up a couple steps

1:31 - bent arm pull

1:37 - straight arm pull


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Mar. 5 2024 - Teaching Backstroke Zoom