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 backstroke down into simple, manageable stages, and answers the questions parents ask most: what age to start, how to fix sinking hips, which drills actually work, and how to help a nervous swimmer relax on their back. Whether your child is just getting comfortable floating or ready to add full arm-and-leg coordination, you’ll find clear steps, practical drills, and troubleshooting tips below.
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.
Teach it in order: a relaxed back float first, then the flutter kick, then the arm movement one arm at a time (often via elementary backstroke), and finally full alternating-arm coordination. Most swimmers who struggle are fixing one of two things — sinking hips or a tucked chin — both of which have simple corrections below.
What Age Can Kids Start Learning Backstroke?
Most swim schools introduce backstroke fundamentals to children around age 5 to 7, once a child can comfortably float on their back and has some basic water comfort — but readiness depends far more on skill than on age. Many instructors teach backstroke before freestyle precisely because it removes the hardest part of beginner swimming: coordinated breathing.
A child who can hold a back float and kick without panicking is usually ready to start, whether that happens at age 4 or age 8. Younger children (roughly ages 3 to 5) can still work on the building blocks — floating with support, kicking on their back while holding a parent’s hands, and getting used to water on their ears — even if the full stroke is still a year or two away.
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, with water covering the ears. If your child is bothered by water in their ears, a snug-fitting swim cap or silicone earplugs can help — but they should still practice getting used to the sensation, since ears will get wet in almost every stroke eventually.
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 First
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.
The key difference between the two: elementary backstroke is a slower, glide-and-rest stroke often used for water safety and endurance, while competitive backstroke is a continuous, faster stroke used in swim team and racing. Many kids use elementary backstroke for years as a comfortable, low-effort way to move through water even after they’ve learned the competitive version.
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 forearm presses down and back, pulling a path roughly along the side of the body toward the hip — like pulling down on a rope. As the pulling hand finishes near the hip, the opposite arm should be lifting out of the water thumb-first, so there is always one arm recovering through the air while the other is pulling underwater. This constant alternation is what makes backstroke feel smooth instead of stop-and-start.
Teach one arm at a time before combining both. A simple progression: float and kick with one arm resting at the side while the other does five slow pulls, then switch arms, then finally let both arms alternate continuously while the legs keep kicking underneath.
Step 5: Put It All Together — Timing and Breathing
Once your child can float, kick, and pull independently, the final step is coordinating all three without losing body position. A common beginner habit is holding the breath entirely, which actually makes kids tense up and sink lower in the water. Even though backstroke doesn’t require timed breathing the way freestyle does, encourage a relaxed, steady breathing pattern — breathing in during one arm’s recovery and out during the other — rather than gasping randomly or holding it.
Keep the kick continuous even while the arms are moving; a frequent mistake is letting the legs stop or go limp while the arms catch up. A good cue is ‘kick, kick, kick’ spoken out loud by the parent or coach at a steady rhythm, so the legs never pause regardless of what the arms are doing.
Common Backstroke Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Sinking hips: This is the single most common backstroke problem in kids, and it almost always comes from a tucked chin or a weak core, not from kicking too softly. Cue your child to keep their chin lifted and belly button pointed at the ceiling, and have them gently engage their core and squeeze their glutes, as if pulling the belly button toward the spine — this lifts the hips back toward the surface.
Head too far forward: Tucking the chin to look at the feet is the main cause of sinking hips and a stalled kick. Fix it with the cue ‘head back, tummy up,’ or have your child balance a small foam toy on their forehead during float practice — if it falls off, the head has moved.
Bent, pedaling knees: Big bicycle-style kicks come from bending at the knee instead of the hip. Have your child practice with a pool noodle under their knees (not touching) to self-check that the knees stay just below the surface.
Arms entering too wide or straight overhead: Entering directly overhead strains the shoulder, while entering too wide wastes power. Reinforce the 11-and-1-o’clock clock-face cue until it becomes automatic.
Breath holding: Holding the breath creates tension that drops the hips and stiffens the stroke. Remind your child to breathe continuously and naturally — there’s no rush, since the face never has to leave the air.
Best Backstroke Drills for Kids
Reverse Turtle Float: Arms extended at the sides, legs kicking continuously, face up. This is the foundational drill every other backstroke skill builds on — don’t move past it until your child can hold the position relaxed for 20-30 seconds.
Kickboard-on-Chest Kick: Hug a kickboard to the chest while lying on the back and kick the length of the pool. Isolates leg technique and keeps hips high without any arm-coordination pressure.
One-Arm Drill: One arm stays at the side (or extended overhead) while the other does five to ten slow, controlled pulls, then switch. Builds arm technique without the complexity of full alternation.
Six-Kick Switch: Kick six times with one arm extended in the entry position, then pull through with that arm while the other arm takes its place — a great bridge between one-arm drills and the full stroke.
Streamline Push-Off Glide: Push off the wall on the back in a tight, arms-overhead streamline and glide as far as possible before kicking. Reinforces flat, horizontal body position, which is the fix for almost every backstroke problem.
Helping a Nervous Swimmer Relax on Their Back
Some kids find floating on their back more unsettling than swimming face-down, since they can’t see what’s happening and often fear water will get in their ears or face. Start in water shallow enough that they can stand up instantly if they panic, and support them under the lower back and head with your hands rather than letting them feel unsupported right away.
Let them get used to water on the ears gradually — tipping the head back while standing before attempting a full float — and use a relaxed, slow count (‘1-2-3, I’ve got you’) so they know support won’t disappear without warning. Praising small wins (five seconds of an independent float, one calm kick set) builds confidence faster than pushing straight to the full stroke, and most nervous swimmers come around within a few sessions once they trust that their face will stay dry and they can always stand back up.
teaching kids backstroke FAQs
What age should my child start learning backstroke?
Most kids start learning backstroke fundamentals around age 5 to 7, but readiness depends on skill, not age — any child who can hold a relaxed back float and kick without panicking is ready to begin, even if that happens earlier or later.
Why do my child’s hips keep sinking during backstroke?
Sinking hips almost always come from a tucked chin or a weak core, not a weak kick. Cue your child to keep their chin lifted, belly button toward the ceiling, and gently engage their core and glutes to bring the hips back up to the surface.
Should kids learn elementary backstroke before competitive backstroke?
Yes, many instructors teach it as a stepping stone. Elementary backstroke’s simple ‘Chicken-Airplane-Soldier’ arm pattern and inverted breaststroke kick build water confidence and body position before adding the faster, continuous windmill arm motion used in competitive backstroke.
What is the single best backstroke drill to start with?
The Reverse Turtle Float — lying flat on the back with arms at the sides and a continuous flutter kick — is the foundational drill. Every other skill, including arm technique and timing, builds on a child’s ability to hold this position relaxed.
My child is scared to put their head back in the water — what do I do?
Start in shallow water where they can stand up instantly, support their lower back and head with your hands, and let them get used to water on the ears gradually by tipping their head back while standing first. Build up float time in small increments and praise every small win.
How long does it typically take to learn backstroke?
Many kids pick up a comfortable elementary backstroke within a few lessons, while a smooth, continuous competitive backstroke with good hip position and full arm coordination usually takes several weeks to a few months of regular practice.
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