Physical Education

Unit - 7

7.2.3.Backstroke
The backstroke is easier than the butterfly or breaststroke and similar to the crawl in that you use an alternate windmill arm stroke and flutter kick. Two keys to a proper backstroke are (1)that your arms move with equal strength, otherwise you will swim off to one side, and (2) that your body rolls from side to side so that your arms catch enough water to propel you forward.

The leg kick:

• It's a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
• Bend the knees slightly.
• Relax the feet and ankles (they should be almost floppy).
• Emphasize the up-kick for propulsion.

The arm stroke:

• Move the arms in an alternating, windmill pattern as they rotate and pass your face.
• Cup the hands, and the thumb leaves the water first.
• Move the hands in an "S" pattern when they are pushing the water.

The breathing:
Keep your head back and eyes toward the ceiling.

You can find your own breathing pattern with the backstroke because the breathing is less coordinated with the arms and kick than other strokes since your head should always be out of the water.

Backstroke mainly uses the arms to move forward, with the legs kicking in an up-and-down motion to stabilize the body. The arms provide the power in backstroke and the movement required has three stages - the pull stage, the push stage and the recovery stage. One arm starts in a straight line above the shoulder and, once it reaches the water, it should push down towards the feet. The elbow is bent slightly and the elbow is pulled by the side to the thigh.

The elbow continues to be pushed towards the feet until the elbow is straightened. This constitutes one complete arm stroke and the arm then goes back to the original position. In Backstroke, each arm does the same thing but not at the same time. As one arm comes out of the water, the other arm should go into it, meaning one is always pushing and pulling as the other comes back round to its original position.