Double-Arm Backstroke
Both arms recover and pull together – a balanced way to feel straight arms and entry width before alternating.
- Stages
- Stage 4, Stage 5
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Backstroke Arms
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 6–99 years
- Group size
- 1–14 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Space swimmers well – arms go wide at the side.
What it develops
- Swim backstroke with a recognisable arm action
- Backstroke with shoulder rotation and a steady rhythm
How to run it
- Kick on the back.
- Lift both arms together, straight, over the head.
- Enter at shoulder width, little fingers first.
- Push both arms down to the thighs and glide briefly.
Teaching cues
- Both arms straight.
- Shoulder width.
- Push to your legs.
Make it easier
- Kick with arms at the sides between each pull.
- Short widths.
Make it harder
- Move straight on to alternating arms, keeping the same width.
- Count pulls per width – fewer is better.
Common faults
- Hands entering together behind the head.
- Head lifting as the arms come over.
Corrections
- 'Hands go in in line with your shoulders, not your head.'
- Keep eyes on the ceiling.
Assistant / L1 role
- Watch hand entry from behind the swimmers' heads and give one 'width' comment per swimmer.