Teaching back swimming common steps and mistakes

Back swimming or so-called buck swimming is one of the swimming techniques that many people describe as the opposite of free swimming, where the body is facing up while swimming, and most people refer to back swimming as “the way we swim backward.”

People learn to swim in buck swimming more easily because they don’t have breathing problems like in freestyle swimming and it’s also called back-crawling swimming.

Never forget that backstroke training is different from freestyle swimming and in this article on DeepDive we will talk about the most important steps needed for back swimming, leg strokes and common mistakes.

Technical Analysis in Back Crawl Swimming

Back swimming is completely dependent on the retrograde movements of the hands and is very similar to free swimming, but you swim on your back and push yourself back.

Many doctors recommend this technique because of its benefits, especially for those with back problems, or to develop the muscles of the back stronger.

Benefits of Backpack Swimming

1. Swimming back contributes to burning a lot of calories, as when a person does this swim they lose 250 calories in 30 minutes.
2. This sport offers a wide range of benefits, as lying on the back helps to improve the position of the body, because the muscles need to work to keep the back straight in the water.
3. Buck swimming also contributes to improving the flexibility of the hips and helps to move the muscles of the arms and legs.

How to perform backstroke swim

To learn back crawl or buck swimming skills there are 4 important points in the backstroke swimming technique which are essential elements to consider in order to master the backcrawl swimming technique.

1. Coordinated arm movement in a backpack swimming position
2. Body rotation while pulling the arm in a back swimming position.
3. Good balance to keep the body straight and maintain speed
4. Leg strokes in a crawling swim on the back

All four of these key elements support each other. And the weakness of any of those four points will

First: Movement of the arms in the back swim

1. Your arms should be just outside the water to pull the arm appropriately in a buck swimming position.
2. When you get the arm into the water, you must first make sure that the little finger enters the water, that is, the palm of your hand must be facing outwards.
3. After the arm enters the water, it lowers slightly and the elbow bends slightly and pushes the water to the side of the leg.
4. When the push is finished, the thumb must come out before the water, that is, the palm of the hand is heading inwards. In order to achieve proper traction of the arm in the crawling position on the back, you need to ensure synchronization, so it is very important that both of your arms make the same movement.
5. The rotation of the body during the arm lift has a very important role in mastering your technique while doing the arm pulling correctly. The buck swimming technique cannot be successfully performed without rotating the body.

Second: Body rotation during arm tightening in the back swimming position

1. While doing arm lift in a buck swimming position, you need to provide a rotation of the body using the shoulders.
2. Coordinate between your right arm in case of pushing and as soon as you start to get out of the water, the left arm begins to enter the water.
3. At this time the right shoulder comes out of the water and the body turns to the left at an angle of 45 degrees.
4. In the same way, your left arm has completed the water propulsion and as soon as it starts to get out of the water, the right arm begins to enter the water. This time the left shoulder is out of the water and the body is turning to the right at an angle of 45 degrees.
5. This rotation allows your arms to reach a further distance. In this rotational motion, the object must be straight.

Third: Balance the body in backstroke swimming

1. You need a tight stomach, tight hips, and appropriate foot strokes to achieve a tight body position in a buck swimming position.
2. In order not to weaken your hips, you should keep your abdomen and hips tight and supported by foot kicks.

Fourth: Strokes of the legs in the back swim

As we mentioned earlier in our article about the correct foot stroke in the technique of backstroke where:

1. The correct foot work in a back swimming position is the last and almost most important element of the backstroke technique.
2. Foot strokes support tense body posture.
3. The legs should be close to each other and it is very important to slightly bend the knees.
4. You need to make small, quick movements by taking the force of foot kicks from your hips.

Fifth: Breathing technique in backstroke swimming

The training of breathing techniques in swimming varies due to the type of swimming followed as each type of swimming has its own way of breathing as these exercises help increase endurance and achieve rhythm in the breathing process.

Back swimming is one of the easiest swimmers in the process of breathing as the swimmer breathes normally by breathing through the mouth and exhaling from the nose.

Steps to teach backpacking swimming

Through our series of swimming exercises at Deep Defense, you can learn back swimming step by step under the supervision of professional instructors at our centre. The series can be divided into the following stages:

1. You can practice kicking the flutter on your back while holding the edge of the pool.
2. After that, you can practice balance by floating on your back and side and using a flutter kick to move on.
3. Arm movements are then practiced under water and above water separately with each arm.
4. Finally, you can practice both arm movements simultaneously.

Common mistakes in backstroke swimming

1. Do not spread the comb widening the distance between the legs as the horizontal position of the body must be maintained, the hip raised, the head lying behind and looking up
2. Arching the back due to diving the head in the water and must be repaired through exercises for the legs using the leg stroke board
3. Increase the bending of the knees and the fall of the trunk and should be slowly fixed movements of the legs while increasing their depth and training the legs using the swimming education board.
4. Incompatibility between the movement of the arms and the blows of the legs.
5. The arm descends away from the level of the face and the extension of the arms during the tension and does not bend the arms and should be fixed by focusing on directing the hand towards the foot for the longest distance.
6. Lack of breathing in a good way, loss of balance and recurrence of gaze on both sides should be repaired by regulating breathing, taking inhalations from the mouth and keeping knees under the surface of the water.

Features of Deep Dive for Teaching Backpack Swimming

• At DeepDive Center, we train trainees in the correct backstroke technique through theoretical and practical lessons.
• We use the latest possible means that help the recipient to understand the mechanism of swimming and breathing correctly and the need of the body and muscles for oxygen during the swimming process.
• At Deep Dive Center, we have specialized and qualified trainers to train back swimming skills and techniques in a smooth and simple manner.
• We take the most important measures that may help the trainee and his mastery of the skills and steps of swimming crawling on the back and increase the confidence of the trainees with practical steps.
• We train people to swim backstroke practically and in gradual steps from zero to professionalism.

Top Frequently Asked Questions About Back Swimming

Resources

Improving Your Backstroke Technique | Swimming Tips and Advice

How to Swim the Backstroke: 3 Backstroke Swimming Tips – 2022 – MasterClass