This drill to learn to swim backstroke lets you practice keeping your balance while doing the underwater movements of the backstroke arm stroke.
All the backstroke drills you practiced up to now focused on balance while using a flutter kick for propulsion. The arms always remained static. But now you’ll start to add arm movements to your stroke. To keep things simple you’ll only move one arm at a time and also only practice the underwater portion of the arm stroke.
Roll on one of your sides.
Extend one arm overhead, keep the other arm at your side.
Angle your wrist so that your palm is facing backward.
Start to push back against the water with your palm, and execute the propulsive underwater arm sweep.
Keep the other arm at your side.
Both arms should be at your sides once you have finished your arm sweep.
Now extend your other arm overhead, then execute the arm sweep with that arm, and so on.
Focus on both your balance and your underwater arm movements.
With each arm sweep, roll from side to side like you learned to do in the Head-Lead Side Balance Drill.
As you roll from side to side and your weight shifts accordingly, you’ll need to adjust your balance more dynamically.
Try to keep your head still and the face parallel to the water surface.