Lesson 6: Backstroke

Northern Advocate, 28 February 1939, Page 3

Lesson 6: Backstroke

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The third popular swimming’stroke is the backstroke. The lessons of the National Committee of Swimming and Life-saving conclude with an explanation of this stroke. Backstroke is very similar to the crawl, being an inverted form of this. The kick is done with relaxed legs—feet and knees always under the surface. Drop the whole leg down easily, and kick backward and upward from the thigh, with the foot and ankle perfectly relaxed. For the body position lie naturally on the water, the head being pillowed on the water and strained neither backward nor forward.

(1) Commence the kick and very slowly lift the right arm, easy and relaxed from the shoulder, the hand hanging from the wrist. (2) Lift the arm from the’ shoulder clear of the water, and with a movement entirely from the shoulder, carry the arm back and place the hand in the water well outside the shoulder line, so that there is no strain on the shoulder muscles. In making the ,; catch,” the hand is slanted backward and downward from the wrist to enable a steady, powerful oarlike drive with shoulder and arm by means of direct pressure backward right to the end of the stroke. Continue with the left arm.

Breathing is done through , the mouth and out through the nose and mouth, as in the free-style crawl.