GEPE3-SWIMMING

Sir Fahad Kiram Jaurigue

BACKSTROKE
 BACKSTROKE
Backstroke Body Position
The backstroke body position is parallel to the surface of the water; your head position can
control what happens. Think straight line from the top of your head, down your spine, and
make that line parallel to the water's surface. Your nose should point up toward the
sky/ceiling. Your shoulders should be rolled forward, making your back slightly curved, like
the bow of a boat.
Start this by getting on your back and push off of a wall, get in the parallel position and put
your hands on your thighs, arms straight; roll your shoulders up and in across your chest,
keep your head back, nose up, with the water at about your ears. Keep practicing getting in
that position from a push off of a wall until you feel comfortable.
The Backstroke Kick
The thing to remember for backstroke kicking is to make a lot of bubbles; make
the water boil by your toes. Kick with relatively straight legs, kick more from
the hips, relax your ankles, and go, go, go. If your knees come out of the water
you are letting them bend too much.
Push off the wall, get in the parallel position, hands on your legs, and curl your
shoulders in, and start kicking. And kick. And kick. Remember to keep track of
where you are in the pool, don't hit your head on the wall.
Breathing
One typical pattern is to breathe in when one arm is up in the air and blow out when
the other arm is up.

The Arms - Pulling in Backstroke

The basic pull is a straight arm that exits the water thumb first and enters the water
pinky first. This is not the best backstroke pull, not like you might see at the
Olympics, but it is the easiest way to learn it.
While you move your arms (pull), you always keep each arm opposite of the other
arm. If one arm is going in the water (pinky first) the other arm is exiting the water
(thumb first).
When an arm is in the air, its shoulder should be the one that is up and out of the
water. The arm in the water's shoulder should be the one that is down, in the water.
Your shoulders (and your body) rotate above and below the water, along with your
parallel line, with your arms. Remember to keep your head still and your nose
pointing up. And kick!!!!