Backstroke is sometimes the stroke that gets forgotten—but learning backstroke gives you crucial water skills and can even indirectly improve your other strokes, especially your freestyle. Once you master backstroke, you can use it to supplement or recover from other strokes so your swim training is more well-rounded. Backstroke is also a very relaxing stroke to swim, since you are on your back with the water supporting you, and able to breathe freely. 

Our Backstroke Mastery program was co-created by TI Master Coaches Fish Tang and Shinji Takeuchi. It is designed to break down the key elements of the stroke in easy-to-understand theory and practical drills. You will learn each element step-by-step, and add them together to form your full stroke as you progress. As a hybrid program, it includes many video tutorials explaining different components of the stroke, as well as Zoom sessions with the coaches where you can ask questions, get clarification and practice under supervision. There are also pool sessions to refine and get feedback on your technique. By the end of the program, you’ll be able to swim Xm of backstroke efficiently and elegantly.

Intro/Taster Session

This is a 90-minute taster session that will introduce you to efficient backstroke technique. 

Who

• Swimmers who want to experience new ways to swim backstroke
  *Prerequisite: able to swim 25m freestyle comfortably

What

90-minute session covering

• Streamlined body positioning and balance in back float
• Kicking and hip rotation for propulsion
• Seamless and efficient underwater stroke
• Easy arm recovery coordinated with breathing
• Video analysis of your swim (before and after) by a coach

What

90-minute session covering

• Streamlined body positioning and balance in back float
• Kicking and hip rotation for propulsion
• Seamless and efficient underwater stroke
• Easy arm recovery coordinated with breathing
• Video analysis of your swim (before and after) by a coach

Backstroke Mastery

Who

• Swimmers who want to master backstroke
  *Prerequisite: attended Intro, able to swim 25m comfortably

What

Level 1: 

• Streamlined body positioning and balance in back float
• Kicking and hip rotation for propulsion
• Seamless and efficient underwater stroke
• Easy arm recovery coordinated with breathing

Level 2: 

What

90-minute session covering

• Streamlined body positioning and balance in back float
• Kicking and hip rotation for propulsion
• Seamless and efficient underwater stroke
• Easy arm recovery coordinated with breathing
• Video analysis of your swim (before and after) by a coach

WHY JOIN

Improve your other strokes without even working on them

Since backstroke is a long-axis stroke like freestyle, many of the fundamental skills required to swim it well are the same. Working on your backstroke will give you better balance and streamling in the water, and will allow you to continue to improve your propulsion, hip drive, underwater stroke and kicking techniques. 

Make your swim a whole-body experience

Adding another stroke to your repertoire will make your swim training and workouts more well-rounded and balanced. For example, backstroke can help you recover from swimming freestyle or other strokes. Floating on your back uses different muscles compared with floating on your front, specifically your posterior chain (all the muscles along the back of your body). 

Learn new water skills easily and effortlessly

Since you are facing up as you swim backstroke, you get a different sense of your body in the water, developing new facets of your waterfeel and learning to coordinate and visualize your movements in fresh ways. Finally, backstroke involves a unique breathing pattern that helps make the stroke seamless, smooth and streamlined. Many students report that once they learn and master it, backstroke swimming can be even more relaxing than freestyle.