Tackling backcrawl

9:15am Saturday 24th February 2007

THIS week we look at backcrawl which is an easy stroke for a child to pick up.

Most of the principles of the strokes are the same as others we have discussed.

Pull the chain and flush the toilet is another of my techniques that I use to start the children off doing backcrawl.

I ask them to bring their arm out in front of them and up to their ear, ensuring that the thumb is pointing backwards. Once next to the ear I ask them to flick their hand so the little finger is facing backwards.

I then ask them to pretend to pull down on a chain (like the old fashioned toilets) and the pretend to flush a new toilet. This starts to get them to move their hand in the way that they need to do it for backcrawl.

After a couple of tries at this I then ask them to have their hand flat rather than close their fingers. Practicing one arm at a time is the best way to go.

Once they have mastered the arm movements, it is time for them to do the full stroke.

I ask them to do the windmill motion. This means that when one hand is coming out of the water the other arm should be working diagonally opposite.

All the time the children should be kicking their legs with the smelly sock' routine we discussed in our earlier articles.

More hints and tips next week.

Meanwhile if you have any questions you would like answering in the column, whether for adults, babies or children, send them to splishsploshswimmingschoool@yahoo.co.uk and we will answer them in the next column or by return email.