Steady Backstroke Lengths
Longer backstroke swims with three checkpoints – head, hips and arm rhythm – called by a partner, so technique holds as distance grows.
- Stages
- Swimming – Stage 10
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Skills
- Backstroke, Body Position, Endurance & Pace
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 9–99 years
- Group size
- 2–16 swimmers
- Time
- About 7 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Use backstroke flags and an agreed lane direction.
What it develops
- Backstroke technique held over distance
How to run it
- Pairs: one swims, one watches from poolside.
- Swimmer swims 100 metres (or 4 widths) of steady backstroke.
- Watcher checks three things at each end: head still, hips at the surface, arms continuous.
- Swap roles; then repeat, focusing on whichever checkpoint scored lowest.
Teaching cues
- Still head.
- High hips.
- One arm in, one arm out.
Make it easier
- Shorter distance with a rest every width.
Make it harder
- Hold the same stroke count every length.
- Breathe in on one arm and out on the other to keep a rhythm.
Common faults
- Hips drop as tiredness sets in.
- Arm rhythm becomes catch-up with pauses.
Corrections
- 'When it gets hard, kick a little more and lift the tummy.'
- 'Keep the arms like a windmill – no stopping.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Act as the watcher for any swimmer without a partner, using only the three agreed checkpoints.