Spot and fix the five most common backstroke mistakes: sitting in the water, a wandering head, missing rotation, crossing hands and a choppy pull.
## Introduction The most common backstroke mistake has a name: sitting in the water. You buckle at the hips, the rear drops, and you swim as if perched on an invisible chair. The honest answer why this brakes so hard: in this pike position you push a huge braking surface ahead of you, and your kick points down-and-back instead of straight back.
The good news: almost all typical backstroke mistakes hang on the same three pillars — stable body position, rotation and a continuous kick. Fix one and several symptoms often improve at once.
This guide is your mistake checklist. We go through the five classics, tell you how to spot each one, and give one concrete fix per mistake that you can test in the next length. Worth saying up front: every one of these mistakes is completely normal and quick to fix — it is no sign of missing talent, just a list you work through one item at a time.
## What You Need - A free lane and honest self-observation — where exactly do you feel the resistance? - Optional your phone in a waterproof case for a short clip from the side. - Optional a helper at the pool edge to give you feedback. - A pull buoy and a kickboard as correction aids. - The patience to tackle only one mistake per length, not all at once.
## Step by Step ### 1. Mistake 1 — sitting in the water Tell-tale sign: rear low, knees breaking the surface, you barely move. Fix: press the chest down slightly and push the hips deliberately to the surface until your body forms a straight line — a pull buoy between the thighs makes the target feeling instant.
### 2. Mistake 2 — head wandering and wobbling Tell-tale sign: you lift the head to look forward, or it rolls with every stroke. Fix: gaze strictly to the ceiling, water line at the ears, head as still as if balancing a glass on it. A quiet head lifts the hips almost by itself.
### 3. Mistake 3 — flat as a plank (no rotation) Tell-tale sign: shoulders stay rigid at the surface, you only paddle with the arms. Fix: roll shoulder and hip together around the long axis — backstroke even uses more rotation than front crawl. Without rolling, the arm never reaches deep enough into the water.
### 4. Mistake 4 — hand crosses the centreline Tell-tale sign: on entry the hand drifts behind the head to the far side, and you snake. Fix: enter the hand shoulder-width, little finger first, never past the middle of the head. That keeps you on a straight line.
### 5. Mistake 5 — a choppy, short pull Tell-tale sign: many frantic strokes, little distance per stroke. Fix: stretch into each stroke and pull it through to the thigh — your speed is stroke rate times stroke length, and length is the more economical lever.
## Common Mistakes - Trying to fix everything at once: overloads head and body. Fix: exactly one point per length. - Chasing the symptom, not the cause: tinkering with the legs when the head is to blame. Fix: check head and body position first. - Tensing up while correcting: tension breeds new errors. Fix: stay loose, swim slowly. - Using no feedback: you rarely feel your own mistakes. Fix: a short side clip or a helper.
## Safety Notes Swim correction lengths slowly — in focus mode it is easy to forget the wall behind you. Count your strokes or use the backstroke flags to orient so you do not hit your head. Anyone trying to "force out" a mistake with brute effort risks tension in the neck and shoulder; technique improves through calm repetition, not through strength. Stop with pain rather than pushing through.
## Pro Tip Film yourself for a single length from the side with the phone at the pool edge. You almost never feel backstroke mistakes, but on video you see the sitting in the water, the wandering head or the snaking in two seconds. A 30-second clip gives you more correction than ten lengths of blind practice — pick the most glaring mistake and work only on that for the next few weeks.
## FAQ ### What does "sitting in the water" mean? It means you buckle at the hips and the rear sags, as if sitting on a chair. The body forms a V instead of a line, pushes a big braking surface and the kick fizzles out. Fix: chest down, hips up, brace the core lightly — the goal is a straight line from head to foot.
### Why do I swim in a zigzag instead of straight? Usually your hands enter too far inside and cross the centreline behind the head. Every stroke then pushes you sideways. Let the hands enter shoulder-width and little finger first, never past the middle of the head — and you will run noticeably straighter.
### Should I tackle all mistakes at once? No. Take exactly one point per length, otherwise it overloads head and body and nothing settles. Most mistakes hang on the same pillars anyway, so one good fix often improves several symptoms at once. Better slow and clean one after another than frantic all at once and none properly.
### How do I even recognise my own mistakes? On your back you barely feel them — which is why a short side clip is worth gold. Alternatively, a person at the pool edge gives you feedback. Always work top to bottom: head first, then core and hips, arms and legs last. Watch head and hips first: if the head lies still and the hips stay high, the most common mistakes are usually gone already.
Backstroke Breathing: Breathe Calm, Keep Water Out