I'm a fairly new competitve swimmer (although I'm gonna be 50 this year). I'm reading a book entitled "The Essential Swimmer" by Steve Tarpinian. He's telling me that the water line for freestyle should be somewhere between my goggles and my cap (hairline) on my forehead. Is this right? I've been swimming all this time (started last August) with my head straight down. Seems to me that I'm gonna get quite a neck ache swimming that way, but if that's correct I'll start today! Any help is appreciated.
Doug
Doug,
When I was younger, i.e., in the 1970s, I was taught to have the water level hit me right on the forehead during freestyle. This, the old theory went, would help you hydroplane during sprinting. In reality, this head's up posture caused your legs to sink, and you ended up plowing through the water.
Today, it seems to me a new and better head position theory has emerged. Now, I look straight down to the bottom of the pool, and have a significantly lower head position. The water level hits me between where my hairline used to be and where it is, in fact, now--i.e., closer to the crown. This head position keeps you flat on the water surface so that you torpedo through horizontally rather than plow through in a wedge configuration.
Anyhow, I find the latter (flat, head down) works better for me not only for distance but sprinting as well (I don't think we were ever expected to "hydroplane" for long distances--too tiring.)
Where you can really see this is in backstroke. Watch the sunken legs of swimmers who keep their heads up compared with the much better body position of backstrokers who are in a flat, neutral position, their eyes staring straight up at the ceiling.
Others may disagree, but I think flat is better. At least in swimming.
Doug,
When I was younger, i.e., in the 1970s, I was taught to have the water level hit me right on the forehead during freestyle. This, the old theory went, would help you hydroplane during sprinting. In reality, this head's up posture caused your legs to sink, and you ended up plowing through the water.
Today, it seems to me a new and better head position theory has emerged. Now, I look straight down to the bottom of the pool, and have a significantly lower head position. The water level hits me between where my hairline used to be and where it is, in fact, now--i.e., closer to the crown. This head position keeps you flat on the water surface so that you torpedo through horizontally rather than plow through in a wedge configuration.
Anyhow, I find the latter (flat, head down) works better for me not only for distance but sprinting as well (I don't think we were ever expected to "hydroplane" for long distances--too tiring.)
Where you can really see this is in backstroke. Watch the sunken legs of swimmers who keep their heads up compared with the much better body position of backstrokers who are in a flat, neutral position, their eyes staring straight up at the ceiling.
Others may disagree, but I think flat is better. At least in swimming.
