How to Swim the Backstroke

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Phillip Toriello, and this is how to swim backstroke. Backstroke is basically the upside down version of your freestyle stroke. The only difference or the primary difference is that you're allowed to breath as often and as regular as you like, so it makes it almost more comfortable for swimmers. The first thing you're going to want to do is learn how to float on your back by simply placing your head back, your chin up in the air, putting your belly button up and just letting your body float naturally. Take breaths in nice and easy. A tendency that people have is that they stop breathing. Basically they just fill themselves up afraid to allow any water in their mouths or in their nose. But please, keep on breathing whenever you're floating on your back. The next phase is just incorporating your straight leg, pointed toe kick. You're just going to keep your hips up on top of the water with your pelvic bone up at the top and then you're just going to kick with that nice, small, fast, straight leg, pointed toe kick. Once you have your kick down, you float and you feel comfortable in the water, you can incorporate the pull or the stroke motion of the back stroke which is basically going to be a thumbs out, twisting your hand, pinkie in, bending that elbow by catching the water underwater and pushing it all the way through. So again, that's going to be a thumbs out of the water, pinkie into the water, bend that elbow under catching and pushing all the way through down to your hips. And it's going to be one hand at a time. You don't want to move both hands at the same time. It's going to be one hand at a time. Something to the effect of this. One arm pushes as the other one's coming back down your hips, the other one starts the stroke and then you can pick up the speed as fast or as slow as you like. Whatever is most comfortable. To learn more about back stroke, please contact your local swimming expert."