St.

Paul University Philippines

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

SCHOOL OF ARTS SCIENCES and TEACHER EDUCATION

Lesson 3: Learning the Back Stroke Style

Introduction
Backstroke or back crawl is one of the four swimming styles used in competitive events
regulated by FINA, and the only one of these styles swum on the back. This swimming style has the
advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimmers not able to see where they are going.
The only stroke in which swimmer starts into the water and was popularized by Harry Hebner.

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
A. understand the different skills involved in backstroke;
B. perform properly the different drills in backstroke; and
C. master the mechanics in executing backstroke.

Readings:
BREATHING
Replenishing the body with oxygen is an integral part of any sport, but in swimming, the
added challenge of doing so while in the water makes breathing a primary aspect of swimming
technique. Swimmers must learn to breathe rhymically to best fuel their bodies. In addition,
they must learn to inhale and exhale within the line of the stroke to avoid disrupting the
forward motion of their swimming. In general, timing the inhale with the stroke’s recovery, and
timing the exhale to the power phase makes breathing fit into the forward motion best,
without creating insurmountable drag. This timing also places the exhale to the part of the
stroke that demands the most exertion. So as in other sports, and in life in general, the
swimmer can summon more power by expelling air while applying force. Some scholars of
swimming believe that the rhythm of swimming should actually be determined by a swimmer’s
natural breathing rhythm. This theory makes breathing the central focus in developing the most
effective stroke rate, pace, and strategy. Whether you are sprinting a 50 or swimming a mile,
breathing technique is a factor in your ability to swim better.
Bubbling helps swimmers to breathe properly. When you swim, you inhale through your
mouth when your face is above the water and exhale through your mouth or nose when your
face is under water. By exhaling a steady stream of bubbles as you swim, you can avoid tension
and focus on performance.
Activity 1 (Bubbling Deck drill)
 St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

SCHOOL OF ARTS SCIENCES and TEACHER EDUCATION

Direction: Given the procedure below, execute the following. This activity will serve as a deck
drill activity. Record your performance and the output will be turned-in in the team channel.

Procedure

1. Face the wall and hold on to the gutter with both hands. Position your feet against the wall or
on the bottom.(on swimming pool)
2. On a dry wall put an imaginary level of water and bring your back against the wall. Tilt your head
up and down from just above the surface of the water to just below the surface.
3. As soon as your mouth and nose go below the surface, breathe out and hum as you blow air
(dry bubbling)or steady bubbles(if in water) . This action will ensure a constant exhale while you
are underwater. Breathe in only when your mouth is above the surface.
4. Breathe slowly and stay relaxed. Repeat the motion at least 10 times in a row.

For further understanding, watch the video on this link.

https://youtu.be/JuuKu8mlwW4

Self- Assessment
Direction: Based on your performance and the video, enumerate the focus points that you
must have to consider in executing bubbles.
1. Control your speed and bubble blowing
2. Practice proper breathing technique

Readings
 St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

SCHOOL OF ARTS SCIENCES and TEACHER EDUCATION

Flutter kick

The role of the legs in swimming is to provide forward momentum, rhythm, and counterbalance
to other actions of the stroke. While the large muscles of the legs are an invaluable resource to
swimmers, they demand a great deal of oxygen. It is therefore worthwhile to develop good kicking skills.
Swimmers should strive to develop both a productive and a sustainable kick. A productive kick can
relieve the upper body of some of the workload. A sustainable kick is economical in terms of energy
expenditure. Although a consequence of kicking is that the legs will float better, this should not be the
primary focus of kicking. Kicking should be used for forward motion, not to correct floating problems.
Kicking well requires a swimmer to have relaxed feet and ankles, fluid motion, and above all to keep the
feet connected to the water.

Flutter kick is a simple and efficient kick used in freestyle and back stroke. Both legs are kept
parallel.

Activity 2(Flutter Kick Deck drill)

Direction: Read and follow the procedures in executing flutter kick. Record your output, sent your video
in my account.

Procedure

1. Sit on the edge of the deck/chair. With your toes pointed and your legs extended straight over the
water, touch just your toes to the surface of the water. Then, lower your legs so your feet are about 12
inches (30.5 cm) under the water. Keep your legs close together. (Put a mark on the imaginary level of
water)

2. Slowly raise one foot toward the surface and then lower it back down to 12 inches (30.5 cm) under
the water while raising the other foot. Continue alternately raising and lowering your feet, making sure
that your feet are close together as they pass each other. Keep the toes pointed toward the opposite
end of the pool.

3. Kick the water up toward the surface, but do not go above the surface. Gradually increase the speed
of the kick.

4. As your speed increases, bend your knees a little and relax your ankles.

For further understanding, watch the video on this link.

https://youtu.be/Fs1Fyp69rFA

Self-assessment
 St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

SCHOOL OF ARTS SCIENCES and TEACHER EDUCATION

Direction: Complete the sentence based on your performance and the video.

1. The focus points in executing flutter kick are the speed and strength of your legs because those
are the two important for you to perform to achieve perfect flutter kick and helps you to swim
effectively.

Readings

Gliding

In swimming, this happens before a stroke begins, between stroke, after a flip turn or at the end of
a lap. Proper gliding technique allows swimmer to maintain momentum while preparing for next stroke.
Glide until you feel yourself slowing in the water and take your first swim. Gliding in backstroke is a way
were swimmers start the game.

Activity 3 Water-Line Drill

Procedure in executing the drill

1. Facing the wall, hold on the gutter and both feet should be tuck on the wall.
2. Slow lay horizontally in the water, face up, arms at sides, spine straight. Do not produce any
forward motion.
3. Move your chin toward your chest until the surface of the water, or the water-line is just below
your ear lobes. Notice that in this position, the muscles in your neck and shoulders are fully
engaged. Your legs may also sink, and it will probably be difficult to maintain your flotation.
4. Hold on in that position until you stop moving.

Watch this link for further understanding.

https://youtu.be/KJn5lgFQEZ4

Self- Assessment

Direction: Identify the focus points in doing the activity.

1. Balancing

2. The strength of your feet to kick

3. perform proper gliding position

 St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

SCHOOL OF ARTS SCIENCES and TEACHER EDUCATION

Readings

Stream Line with a Kick

When we study how the body moves most effectively through the water during the backstroke or
freestyle, we notice that the best swimmers have a certain degree of rotation in the long axis and that
their bodies stay high in relation to the surface of the water. Here is a simple explanation of how this
works. In the Previous topic, you saw that the body has natural buoyancy and that some people have
better buoyancy than others. The best swimmers move through the water with most of the body below
the surface, but a good deal of the body is above the surface, too. Humans are not designed to move
through the water as fish do; we do not move completely underwater with our bodies in vertical
positions. The closest representation of the human body’s natural buoyancy is a sailboat. If you have
ever operated a good-sized sailboat, you’ll probably recognize what I mean. Much of the sailboat is
actually underwater. As it moves through the water, an interesting thing happens when the sails catch
the wind just right: the boat lifts and cuts through the water more easily. This usually happens when the
boat is at an angle. Likewise, swimmers can shape their body positions for the freestyle and the
backstroke at angles that give the body more lift, reduce drag and increase speed.

Activity 4 (Stream Line with a Kick)

Direction: Follow the procedures of the Backstroke Streamline with a Kick and master the procedure.

Procedure

When you are providing propulsion from a flutter kick, you can position your body at an angle,
giving it the appearance of a sailboat, for additional lift. For most people this angle is about 45 degrees,
but it can vary from one person to another. It is known as the sailboat position or sailboat angle. The key
is to feel your body lift to the highest position possible while moving through the water. A higher body
position results in less drag, which makes it easier to move through the water and swim faster.

1. Push off from the wall on your back and immediately shape your body into the sailboat position.
Allow yourself to glide as far as possible while holding this position.

2. Add a slow flutter kick and continue to hold the sailboat position

https://tu.be/OuYY2nHMAoO

Self-Assessment

Direction: Complete the following sentence.

1. While executing the activity, the following focus points that I must consider are I need to
maintain my body posture for me to achieve the speed when I glide in the pool, and also the
strength of my arms and feet for me to swim faster and effectively.
 St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

SCHOOL OF ARTS SCIENCES and TEACHER EDUCATION

Readings

Backstroke Arm Pull

Your arm will start to bend so the palm and forearm are facing towards your feet. When the
elbow gets to a 90 degree bend, push the water towards your hip. As your right arm nears hips, it
will extend and your palm will return in towards your hip to finish the arm pull.

Activity 5 (Backstroke Arm Pull Deck Drill)

1. Stand next to a wall that is taller than you are when your arms are stretched over your head.

2. Position your body with your side to the wall so that your shoulder is 1 or 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) from
the wall. You will be using only the arm next to the wall. Keep that arm close to the wall at all times
during this drill.

3. Start with your arm straight and your palm against your thigh. Lift your arm up as if you were going to
shake hands with an imaginary person in front of you. Keep your arm straight.

4. Rotate your arm inward at the shoulder as your raise it. Keep your elbow straight and turn your palm
down. By the time your hand is as high as your head, your palm should be facing down.

5. Continue to rotate your palm as you lift your arm. When your arm is directly overhead, your palm
should be facing the wall. Repeat this movement several times. Begin slowly and gradually build up
speed.

https://youtu.be/R4htRmMDyO4

Self- Assessment

Direction: List down the focus points to be considered in executing Arm Pull.

1. Attention of the body position

2. Maintaining the speed

3. Practice proper breathing technique

Readings 5

Recovery
 St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

SCHOOL OF ARTS SCIENCES and TEACHER EDUCATION

The opposition timing of the backstroke makes the arm stroke recovery an active part of the stroke.
While resting the muscles of the arm, the recovering arm must serve as a counterbalance to the stroking
arm. Accomplishing this requires the recovering arm to be aligned correctly itself in relation to the rest
of the body. The following backstroke recovery drills focus on developing a relaxed, aligned and
balanced path over the water.

Activity 6 (Recovery Drill)

Direction: Follow the procedures below. Record your output and send it in my account.

1: Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Imagine the face of a large clock centered on the mirror in front
of you. Raise your right arm over your head as if preparing to enter the water for the backstroke, pinkie
first. Position your hand at 12:00. Now, attempt to lower your arm downward as you would into the
water to a point about twelve inches below where the water’s surface would be. Notice that from the
12:00 position, your shoulder does not allow this rotation, unless you are double-jointed.

2: Again, raise your right arm over your head extended as if preparing to enter the water for the
backstroke. This time, position your arm at 1:00, and attempt to lower your arm as you would into the
water to a point about twelve inches below where the water’s surface would be. Notice that your
shoulder allows this rotation, moving more freely around the joint. Some swimmers may need to use a
1:30 or 2:00 for a more comfortable entry point.

3: Once you have found an entry point that allows free shoulder joint rotation, try duplicating this entry
point with the other arm. Now try alternating arm action, monitoring your clock arms in the mirror in
order to avoid an “overreaching” 12:00 entry. Continue for 30 seconds.

4: Now, try alternating arm action with your eyes closed. Every six or seven strokes, freeze at your entry
position, open your eyes, and check if you are properly aligned at 1:00 or 11:00 so your arm can descend
freely downward and you are aligned most directly forward. Once you have checked, and made a
modification if necessary, resume your stroke action with your eyes closed. Check again. Continue until
you are able to maintain a recovery with a well-aligned entry position.

Step 5: Now try it in the water. If you are swimming in an indoor pool, use the beams, pipes or lines on
the ceiling to align your arms at 1:00 and 11:00. If you are swimming in an outdoor pool, keep imagining
the clock around you, and align your arms outside 12:00. Practice lowering each arm down into the
water to begin the stroke, and notice if your arm is rotating easily around the shoulder joint. Practice
aligning your arm precisely in the direction you are heading. Continue until you are achieving a well-
aligned entry that both allows your arm to achieve a wider range of motion and moves you most directly
forward.

https://youtu.be/89Hxafulzyl

Self-Assessment

Direction: Fill up the table with the necessary modification to be done to the problem.

Problem Modification
 St. Paul University Philippines
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

SCHOOL OF ARTS SCIENCES and TEACHER EDUCATION

I am comfortably able to enter the water at
12:00.

When I think I am at 1:00, I am at 12:00.

My shoulder doesn’t rotate freely even at 1:00.

References:

Mood, D. et l., (1991). Sports and Recreational Activities for Men and Women. Mosby Year
Book

H. C. Dubey; Swimming; Discovery Publishing House; New Delhi- 110002; Reprint 2006

Lucero.B. (2011). The 100 Best Swimming Drills.Maidenhead: Mayer and Meyer Sports(UK) Ltd.
2008
Guzman, R. J. (2017). The Swimming Drill Book. Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics.

https://youtu.be/89Hxafulzyl
https://youtu.be/R4htRmMDyO4
https://tu.be/OuYY2nHMAoO
https://youtu.be/KJn5lgFQEZ4
https://youtu.be/Fs1Fyp69rFA
https://youtu.be/JuuKu8mlwW4