How to Do Your First Backflip on a Diving Board

If you're trying to do your first backflip on a diving board, this is where to start. I'm breaking it into four parts: the sit, the swing, the look, and the come out.

Get these four things right and you'll make it around safely. If you've already been doing backflips for a while, check out the back 1½ video — it goes a lot deeper into body mechanics for divers looking to take it further.

Watch the Full Breakdown

The Four Steps

Step 1: Sit

I say sit instead of squat on purpose. When you're first learning, you want to move away from the board safely — and sitting lets your butt fall back slightly, which takes you out and away from the board. That's the right direction when you're starting out. Over time you'll refine this into a more balanced squat, but for now: sit, move away safely.

Step 2: Swing

Stand with your heels hanging off the edge just a little bit. As you sit, swing your arms backwards and then bring them through — close to your legs as they pass — all the way up to your ears. That swing combined with the sit generates all the force you need to flip all the way around. On a diving board you've got the added bonus of the board pushing you up, which makes this way more achievable than on flat ground.

Step 3: Look (Two Places)

There are two places you need to look. First: as you're swinging your arms and leaving the board, look forward, as if you're looking at the far end of the board. We call this looking into the tuck — you're looking forward and down, getting yourself into a tight ball, staying aware of where you are. This keeps your head from going back too early.

Second: once you're in the air and in the tuck, tilt your chin up slightly to spot the water. That's how you know when to come out. Start building this habit now because it's critical for back 1½ and back doubles down the road.

Step 4: Come Out

Pretend like you're standing up. A lot of people throw their shoulders back hard and over-rotate — don't do that. Instead, keep a hollow body position and let your feet extend out of the tuck first before opening at the hip and getting tall. Feet out, then hips open. That order matters. If this is your first backflip, don't overthink this step — just get around. But as you do more and more reps, controlling the come out is what gives you control of the whole dive.

Common Mistakes

Throwing the head back on the start: Look forward until you've completely left the board. If your head goes back before that, you're no longer looking forward and you've lost your cue for when to tuck and spot.

Sitting too much: In the beginning, sit as much as you want. But as you gain experience, work toward finding the balance between sitting and squatting that keeps your hips over your ankles more. More balance on the board = more control in the air.

Pulling too hard with the shoulders on the come out: This causes over-rotation, an archy back, and that's how you smack. On the come out, keep your shoulders in front of your chest. That means staying hollow. Over time you'll find the exact right balance — but start by thinking "hollow" not "arch" when you open up.