#elementarybackstroke

Have participants line up in the water facing the wall. On your queue, have them push off into a back position with the arms at their sides. Have them stroke on your queues: - When you say “tickle,” they draw their fingers up their sides and drop their heels. - When you say “T,” they extend their arms straight out at shoulder level and their legs begin the leg action of the elementary backstroke kick. - When you say “touch,” they squeeze their arms to their sides and complete the leg action of the elementary backstroke kick.

Variation: Repeat this drill but have participants add in the arm stroke. 

Have participants put a flutter board under each arm and hang vertically in the water. Tell participants to perform whipkick and try to kick their bodies as high out of the water as possible.

On the deck, have participants stand with their ankles flexed and feet rotated outward. Have participants take very small steps, keeping their feet pointed outward and their knees inside their ankles.

Participant places a noodle behind them, holding it under their armpits. They lean back on the noodle in a sitting position while performing whip kick so that they can watch their kick.

Participants practice whip kick on their back repeating vocal commands out loud: drop, out, around back.

Participant is in vertical position – toes, hips, and chest against the wall while their head, shoulders, and upper chest are out of the water. They practice repeating the horizontal kick progression.

Participants hold the wall, leaning the back of their head on the edge. The participant kicks in time with the instructor’s vocal command: “Up” – recover (arch back), “Out” – outward rotation of ankle, “In” – feet back and glide (streamline head and shoulders).