Is backstroke easy for beginners?

Backstroke is one of the most beginner-friendly strokes because your face stays out of the water, so you can breathe freely the whole time. The main challenge is that you can't see where you're going, which takes a little getting used to.

Why do my legs and hips sink in backstroke?

Usually because your head is lifting or your hips are dropping. Rest your head back with your ears in the water, push your chest and hips up toward the surface, and keep a steady flutter kick to hold your legs up.

How do I not go crooked or hit the wall in backstroke?

Since you can't see ahead, use the ceiling, lane lines, or lane ropes as a guide, take note of how many strokes cross the pool, and glance for the flags or wall markers. In open water, sight occasionally by rolling to check.

Should I learn backstroke or freestyle first?

Backstroke is often gentler to start because breathing is never a problem. Many beginners learn backstroke and breaststroke first, then add freestyle once they're comfortable putting their face in and breathing to the side.

How to Swim Backstroke for Beginners

By Jordan Rivers · June 16, 2026 · 4 min read

Learning how to swim backstroke for beginners has one big advantage over every other stroke: your face stays out of the water the entire time, so breathing is never a problem. For anyone who finds face-in-the-water breathing stressful, backstroke is a calm, confidence-building place to start. This guide breaks it into simple steps.

The short answer

To swim backstroke, float on your back with your body long and flat, keep your head still with your ears in the water and eyes up, do a steady flutter kick from your hips, and move your arms in a slow alternating windmill — one arm reaching back into the water while the other pulls through. Because you’re face-up, you breathe freely the whole time. The only real challenge is that you can’t see where you’re going.

Before you start: get the back float solid

Backstroke is really just a back float with a kick and arms added. So if back-floating still feels shaky, start there — how to float on your back walks through relaxing and finding the position. Once you can lie back calmly with your ears in the water, you’re ready to add movement.

Practice in shallow water you can stand in, with a lifeguard or capable swimmer nearby.

Step 1: Body position — long, flat, and face-up

Lie back with your body stretched long and as flat as you can. Key points:

Head still, resting back so your ears are in the water and your eyes look straight up.
Chest and hips up toward the surface — gently push your belly up so you don’t fold in the middle.
Body relaxed, not stiff.

The most common beginner mistake is lifting the head to look around, which instantly drops your hips and sinks your legs. Trust your head back and keep it there.

Step 2: The flutter kick

Add a steady flutter kick, the same up-and-down kick used in freestyle, just on your back:

Legs long with a slight, relaxed bend at the knee.
Kick from the hips, small and quick, with loose ankles and pointed toes.
Your feet should just break the surface, making a small splash — not big bicycle kicks.

The kick keeps your legs up and provides steady, gentle propulsion. Practice it first while holding a float on your chest, or gliding on your back off the wall.

Step 3: The arm motion (alternating windmill)

Now the arms, one at a time in a continuous alternating windmill:

One arm lifts out of the water and swings back over your shoulder, entering the water pinky-first above your head, arm straight.
Under the water, that arm pulls down toward your hip.
As one arm pulls, the other is recovering over the top — a smooth, continuous windmill.

Keep your arms relaxed and the motion unhurried. A gentle body roll from side to side helps each arm reach and pull naturally.

Step 4: Put it together

Combine the flat, face-up float, the steady flutter kick, and the alternating arm windmill, breathing calmly the whole time. Go slow. A few relaxed strokes, stand up, reset, repeat.

Because you never have to time a breath, backstroke often feels less stressful than freestyle for beginners — one reason it’s such a good early stroke. If you’re weighing which stroke to learn first, our guide on the easiest stroke to learn first compares them.

The one real challenge: not seeing where you’re going

Since you’re looking up, you can’t see ahead. A few simple fixes:

Use the ceiling lines, lane ropes, or lane markings as a guide to swim straight.
Count your strokes across the pool so you know roughly when the wall is coming.
In a lane, the backstroke flags (if present) warn you the wall is near.
Start with short distances so a wall is never far away.

Stay safe while you practice

Practice in water you can stand in, with a lifeguard or capable swimmer present. Never alone.
Stand up and rest whenever you need to.
Be aware of other swimmers and walls since you can’t see ahead — go slow while you’re learning.

The next small step

Next session, do just Step 1 and Step 2: glide on your back off the wall with a gentle flutter kick, keeping your head still and eyes up. Get that floating-and-kicking feeling relaxed and steady, and adding the arms is an easy final piece.

Frequently asked questions

Is backstroke easy for beginners?: Backstroke is one of the most beginner-friendly strokes because your face stays out of the water, so you can breathe freely the whole time. The main challenge is that you can't see where you're going, which takes a little getting used to.
Why do my legs and hips sink in backstroke?: Usually because your head is lifting or your hips are dropping. Rest your head back with your ears in the water, push your chest and hips up toward the surface, and keep a steady flutter kick to hold your legs up.
How do I not go crooked or hit the wall in backstroke?: Since you can't see ahead, use the ceiling, lane lines, or lane ropes as a guide, take note of how many strokes cross the pool, and glance for the flags or wall markers. In open water, sight occasionally by rolling to check.
Should I learn backstroke or freestyle first?: Backstroke is often gentler to start because breathing is never a problem. Many beginners learn backstroke and breaststroke first, then add freestyle once they're comfortable putting their face in and breathing to the side.