Backstroke is a unique swimming style that many people avoid due to the body position backstrokers must maintain. The stroke may seem very different from the popular front crawl stroke performed during freestyle swim events, but with knowledge of proper backstroke technique, plus backstroke drills for training, you can come a long way to improve your backstroke.
After reading this article, you will understand the fundamentals of how to swim backstroke. We will cover body position, body rotation, arm pull, kicking, and breathing techniques. Then, we will provide you with 10 backstroke drills for you to practice, each one including a short video so you can view the proper form used for the drill.
Focus On Good Body Position
Good swimming technique starts with excellent body position. The first step to developing good backstroke technique is to understand how your body should move through the water. Keeping proper body position during the backstroke drills will allow you to swim faster and longer because your body will be in a hydrodynamic position.
The appropriate body position for backstroke is to be nearly parallel with the surface of the water, with your legs pointing slightly downward to the bottom of the pool. The downward angle through your legs…
