BODY POSITION

In swimming the backstroke, you should adopt as streamlined a body position as possible. Counsilman suggests you think of yourself as lying flat on your back in bed without a pillow. The key to the ideal backstroke body position is placement of the hips. Your hips should be just a few inches below the surface of the water. If you hold them too low (a common mistake), your legs will drop and you will create excess drag. If you hold them too high, your legs will ride too high and much of your kick will be out of the water.

The position of your hips is governed mainly by how you hold your head. In the proper head position, your ears are barely submerged, and the water line is about at the middle of your head and below your chin. Your head is in almost straight alignment with your body. To maintain this position while swimming, keep your eyes open and focus on an object about forty-five degrees above the surface of the water.

If you throw your head back too far, your hips will rise and your legs will follow. If you tuck your chin in close to your chest, your hips will drop and you will find yourself in a sitting position, creating a lot of unnecessary resistance.

There is some variation in the ideal backstroke body position, depending on a person’s buoyancy. If you float easily and are unusually buoyant, tuck your chin slightly toward your chest. This will keep your hips from rising too high. If you are less buoyant than most people, try tilting your head back slightly. This will keep your hips from sinking too low.