Backstroke Soldier Position

What it is

A resting and starting position on the back: arms at sides, spine straight, chin pressed back into the neck, hands at or near hips. It is both the beginning position and the ultimate goal position of the Back Glide.

Essentials

• Arms at sides, spine straight, chin pressed back into the neck; hands at or near hips
• Body mostly straight, face out of the water
• Push-off position for beginner backstroke starts
• Resting position for the hands if they stop during backstroke
• Position 11 on backstroke is a target for arm entry without stopping — it is NOT a resting position
• For backstroke streamline, the position can be held in soldier (Level 2 skill: Streamline 3 body lengths on front and back)

Progression

1. "Stand up straight" — establish soldier position standing
2. "Turn away from me" — rotate shoulders or hips to face away from the instructor, staying in soldier
3. "Put your shoulders in the water" — lower into the water maintaining a straight body; do not lean back or forward
4. "Tilt your head back" — initiate the back glide with a gradual, gentle push (modify: "Tilt your head back into my hand" for support)
5. "Push off to me" — glide in soldier position
6. Progress: transition to streamline on the back as control allows
7. Broader lesson arc: lazy puppets → soldier → streamline → position 11 → single-arm strokes

What goes wrong

• Jumping up into the air on push-off → immediate sinking → fear. Correction: "Put your shoulders in the water" before any push; the transition must be gradual.
• Leaning back or forward during the entry. Correction: maintain the straight soldier posture throughout; the first command "Stand up straight" carries through every step.
• Floppy or curved spine (bent belly, butt up in the air). Correction: emphasise the difference between a floppy spine and a straight spine; a straight body travels farther with less effort.
• Using Position 11 as a resting position on backstroke. Correction: Position 11 is the arm-entry target; soldier is the rest.

How you know it worked

The swimmer glides on their back with body mostly straight, face out of the water, and travels a measurable distance with less effort than a curved-body attempt. They can hold the position without support.

How you teach it

Most backstroke fear comes from falling underwater and not knowing how to get back up. The script is engineered to prevent that: each command is a specific, actionable body-part instruction that keeps the child from jumping. "Put your shoulders in the water" is the critical fear-reducer — it gives a concrete target so the participant figures out the mechanics on their own rather than being told every joint angle. "Tilt your head back" replaces a leaping flop with a gradual, gentle push along the surface. If the swimmer is still anxious, modify to "Tilt your head back into my hand" so they feel supported.

The words are chosen deliberately: you want a result with the least thinking and confusion, while still letting the participant achieve the goal on their own. Dictating every motion is boring and removes agency; naming one body part to move keeps them in the loop.

In the broader lesson arc, soldier sits between lazy puppets and streamline. The point of the soldier-to-streamline transition is to let the swimmer feel the difference between a floppy spine and a straight spine, and then between streamline and Position 11 (a small hand change that distinguishes two motions). When you push off the wall, the target is streamline, not Position 11.

For drills, "2 × 50 Backstroke Kick in soldier position" is a standard practice set. The Level 2 skill "Streamline 3 body lengths on front and back" can be done in soldier position, making it a valid way to meet that benchmark before the swimmer is ready for full streamline.

Teach the principle early: a straight soldier body goes farther with less effort than a curved one. You want the swimmer to know this right off the bat because it underpins every stroke. Glides done correctly share the same core body position as all four strokes, so soldier is not just a backstroke tool — it is the foundational posture.