Pre-requisites

To learn forward and backward movement while belly-flying, you first need to be able to belly-fly in a neutral body position and hold that position stable and under control throughout.

Objectives

The primary objective is to be able to safely and successfully demonstrate forward and backward movements while belly-flying, remaining stable and on heading throughout.

Preparation

You will start in the center of the wind tunnel, off the net, facing in a direction that does not point you toward a doorway or have a doorway behind you; this will prevent you from hitting the doors during the maneuver. Before beginning one of these movements, make sure that you are stable and under control so that you get the correct results during the maneuver. When signaled by your coach, you’ll begin either a forward or a backward move until you approach the tunnel wall, where you will stop, return to a neutral body position and then begin a movement in the opposite direction.

Post-flight questions / suggestions

• How did your performance match the initial objectives?
• Were you able to maintain stability throughout while moving forward and backward? Both basic and advanced techniques?
• What techniques did you feel comfortable with and what can you improve on during the next session?

As you move on to learning the next skill in your progression, advancing your turns and forward and backward movements will be essential to improving your overall bely flying skills.