Of all the competitive swimming strokes, backstroke is widely considered the most beginner-friendly — and for good reason. Because kids swim on their backs the entire time, their face stays out of the water and they can breathe freely from start to finish. There is no breath timing to master and no anxiety about putting their face in the water, which makes the learning curve far gentler than freestyle or breaststroke.
This guide breaks the backstroke down into simple, manageable stages. Whether your child is just getting comfortable floating on their back or ready to add arm and leg coordination, you will find clear steps, practical drills, and tips to troubleshoot the most common beginner problems.
Quick Answer
Backstroke is swum on the back with a continuous flutter kick and alternating windmill arms — one arm exits the water thumb-first while the opposite arm enters pinky-first. Because the face stays above water the whole time, kids can breathe freely, making it one of the easiest strokes to learn. Start with a relaxed back float, add the flutter kick, then layer in the arm movement one arm at a time.
Step 1: Nail the Back Float First
Every good backstroke begins with a confident back float. Have your child lie on their back in shallow water with ears submerged, eyes looking straight up at the sky or ceiling, and hips raised so the belly button is near the surface. A good mental cue is to imagine balancing a cup of water on the forehead — the head should be still and neutral, not tilted forward or backward. Many kids instinctively tuck their chin to peek at their feet, which drops the hips and causes them to sink. Practice the float with a parent’s hand lightly supporting the lower back until they feel comfortable holding the position on their own.
Body alignment is everything. The body should be as flat and horizontal as possible, like a plank floating on the surface. Water should cover the ears. The straighter and more streamlined the position, the easier every other part of the stroke becomes.
Step 2: Add the Flutter Kick
The backstroke uses the same flutter kick as freestyle — just flipped upside down. From the flat float position, have your child kick up and down continuously with straight legs and pointed toes. The power comes from the hips and thighs, not the knees. Only the toes and the top of the foot should break the surface, creating a gentle splash that looks like boiling water. Big, splashy bicycle-pedaling kicks are a common beginner habit — encourage smaller, faster kicks that stay mostly underwater.
A helpful drill: have your child hold a kickboard flat against their chest while lying on their back, then kick the length of the pool. This lets them focus entirely on leg technique without worrying about arms. Keep the knees slightly bent but never let them break the surface — a useful test is to hold your hand a few inches above the water; the knees should not touch it.
Step 3: Learn the Elementary Backstroke (Great Starting Point)
Before introducing the full windmill arm motion, many swimming instructors teach the elementary backstroke as an intermediate skill. It uses a simple three-part arm pattern that kids can practice on dry land first. Coaches often call it ‘Chicken – Airplane – Soldier’: start with fingertips tucked into the armpits (Chicken), extend both arms straight out to the sides like airplane wings (Airplane), then press both arms firmly down to the sides (Soldier). The pressing motion is what propels the swimmer forward.
The leg kick for elementary backstroke is an inverted breaststroke kick: pull the heels up toward the rear end, flare the feet outward, then snap the legs together for a burst of forward drive. The snap of the legs should happen at the same moment as the arm press. This synchronized, gliding stroke is excellent for building water confidence and can be learned in just a few sessions before the child moves on to the full competitive backstroke.
Step 4: The Full Backstroke Arm Stroke
For the competitive backstroke, the arms move in a continuous alternating windmill. As one arm pulls underwater, the other recovers through the air. The entry is pinky-finger first, with each hand entering at about the 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock positions — just slightly wider than shoulder width. Think of a clock face: the hands enter where the hour hand points at 11 and 1, never directly overhead (which can strain the shoulder) and never too wide (which loses power).
Once the hand enters the water, the elbow bends and the palm presses down and back toward the hip — think of pushing water toward the feet. As that arm finishes the pull and exits at the hip, it lifts thumb-first, sweeps through the air in a straight arc, then re-enters pinky-first to begin the next stroke. Keep the elbow pointed down toward the pool bottom during the pull phase, not flared out to the side. Start slowly with one arm at a time, using the non-active arm as a ‘rudder’ held flat at the hip, then gradually combine both arms once each arm’s pattern feels natural.
Slight body rotation helps kids generate more power and reach further with each stroke. As the right arm enters the water, the body naturally rolls a few degrees to the right; as the left arm enters, it rolls left. This is not a dramatic movement — more of a subtle side-to-side rocking — but it reduces drag and makes the stroke feel more efficient.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Sinking hips are the number-one problem for young backstrokers. The fix is almost always a head position correction — remind your child to look straight up, not at their feet. Dropping the chin even slightly tips the hips downward. Another cue that helps: ‘squeeze your belly button up toward the ceiling.’ If the hips are still dropping, it may also mean the flutter kick is not continuous — stopping the kick even briefly will cause the lower body to sink.
Crossing the arms over the center line on entry is another frequent mistake. When both hands enter directly overhead or cross the body’s midline, the swimmer zigzags down the lane rather than moving straight. Reinforce the 11-and-1 clock-hand entry point every time. You can use pool noodles or lane lines as visual targets for hand entry position during practice.
Finally, watch for a stiff, tense body. Kids often freeze up, holding their breath and tensing their arms and legs. Encourage them to relax their ankles so the feet are floppy and flexible, not pointed stiffly like a ballerina. Loose ankles let the flutter kick generate more push with less effort. Praise relaxed, flowing movement over speed — a smooth slow stroke is better technique than a fast, splashing one.
Explore more: More swimming guides for kids and beginners.
Backstroke for Kids FAQs
What age can kids start learning backstroke?
Most children can begin working on backstroke basics once they are comfortable floating on their back and have basic water confidence — often around ages 5 to 7, though some younger children in structured swim programs start even earlier. The key prerequisite is not age but comfort: a child who panics in the water is not ready to focus on stroke technique yet.
What is the difference between elementary backstroke and regular backstroke?
Elementary backstroke uses a simultaneous two-arm glide (the ‘Chicken–Airplane–Soldier’ motion) paired with an inverted breaststroke kick. It is simpler, slower, and a great confidence-builder. Regular (competitive) backstroke uses alternating windmill arms and a continuous flutter kick, and is much faster. Teaching elementary backstroke first gives beginners a working stroke while they develop the coordination for the full technique.
My child keeps sinking when they try backstroke — what am I doing wrong?
Sinking almost always comes down to three things: chin tucked forward (fix: look straight up at the ceiling, not at your feet), hips too low (fix: press the belly button upward and keep the body flat), and a kick that keeps stopping (fix: the flutter kick must be continuous — even a brief pause lets the legs drop). Check head position first; it is the root cause of most sinking problems.
Should kids learn backstroke before freestyle?
Many swim instructors do introduce backstroke early — sometimes before or alongside freestyle — precisely because it removes the breath-timing challenge. There is no single right order, but backstroke is an excellent confidence-builder that helps young swimmers feel comfortable on their back and establish a solid flutter kick, which directly transfers to freestyle.
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