Head Position during Free

RE: Head Position during Free

Former Member — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 09:02:21 GMT

Head position is not the same for everyone. It depends on many things the main thing is body bouyancy. A high floater may have to raise the head. Are you in fresh or salt water, salt water swimmers may have to keep the head higher to keep their legs kicking in the water and not in the air. Any one who says it has to be in a certain position is wrong. It must be determined by your body structure, your stroke, where the hand catches and finishes, and your elbow postion above the water. Everything has to synergize and work well together.

RE: Head Position during Free

Former Member — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 08:21:12 GMT

I think... looking straight ahead, having the water line break on the forehead, is not good at all, for anybody. looking straight down (nose pointed at the bottom) works for some, maybe even most. looking at a 45, more or less, works for others, namely me. For a while last winter, I swam looking straight down and my coach caught it one evening and specifically told me to correct it because I was sinking the front end of my body. This YouTube - Michael Phelps freestyle multi angle camera has been pulled out a million times on this forum, but looking at it again on the side view, Phelps clearly does a 45 head position.

RE: Head Position during Free

orca1946 — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 02:44:35 GMT

Team practices are more fun with the head down/neutral. Full contact swims are fun, right??

RE: Head Position during Free

Former Member — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:54:01 GMT

I have to concentrate on head position when I breathe. When I start getting tired, I devolve into a position whereby I tip my head toward the lane line when I take a breath. I figured out that I do this because I can get a bigger gulp of air. But in doing this, it changes how my arm on my breathing side enters the water after the breath. I don't get as strong of a "reach" after my hand enters the water (and that arm enters with more of a slap than it should.) I become aware that I'm doing this because I can hear and feel the slap, so at least I can work to correct it... And when that arm doesn't enter or pull as well, it telegraphs down to the way I kick with the leg on that side. It kicks out slightly to compensate for what's going on with my arm. And therefore for me, a very simple think like a slight change in head position manifests itself in my stroke from fingertip to toe.

RE: Head Position during Free

Former Member — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:54:12 GMT

A coach can tell you what position is the best for efficiency (not necessarily comfort). A swimmer's head position can work to balance the body correctly. Some swimmers float their hips too high and I know that sounds strange but it negatively influences an effective kick and to combat that the swimmer may need to lift their head up. So each swimmer will be different and the comfort level of a head position is indeed a factor but if you want to swim your best, have a coach look at your stroke and give you some pointers.

RE: Head Position during Free

Former Member — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 09:36:46 GMT

Your head weighs about ten pounds Wookie's doesn't.

RE: Head Position during Free

Former Member — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:01:24 GMT

Your head weighs about ten pounds(approx.) and it's position has a great influence on your balance of your body in the water. The crown of your head needs to be in line with your spine, and your nose needs to be pointed straight toward the bottom of the pool when not breathing. Lifting or tilting your head off this line puts a large downward force on your hips, causing them to sink. :drowning:

RE: Head Position during Free

Former Member — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 06:15:30 GMT

When you turn to breathe, should the mouth be completely out of water, or partially? I find myself half mouth out and half underwater, so I could drink the water if I wanted, but I never did. But for longer distances, stroke mechanics have evolved to create a neutral head position with the tip of the nose pointed towards the bottom of the pool to promote a cleaner, longer and straighter over all body line in the water. Nose shapes vary. Some people's tip of the nose already points downward when they are standing. :D

RE: Head Position during Free

philoswimmer — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 02:33:57 GMT

I definitely feel more efficient when I have my head in a neutral position. My problem is that I find it hard to train that way. I am always looking to make sure I'm not touching the feet in the person in front of me, and I think I look for the wall, too (I guess I should be going by the 'T' instead, but I don't like to blow my turns -- too far away being irritating and too close being painful).

RE: Head Position during Free

ourswimmer — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 05:28:37 GMT

For those of us with that old school habit, I think you have to consciously think about looking at the bottom of the pool in order to achieve neutral head position. For me, I also have to think about looking straight to the side when I breathe, rather than lifting my head as I turn it. One eye stays under water and I can look at my teammates' underwater technique. The other eye sees surface turbulence or the lane line. It's also really important to keep that neutral head position as you approach and leave the wall. When I share a lane, which is usually, to avoid collisions I do have to pay close attention to counting the lane-mates in my peripheral vision as they pass going the other way.

RE: Head Position during Free

Patrick W. Brundage — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 05:00:57 GMT

Unfortunately, at one stage in my life I was taught to keep a high eye line position, which directly attributed to a drop in my hips. This wasn't corrected until I was 16 or 17 years old and a visiting coach noticed it and suggested the change. I'm pretty sure that the neutral position is widely recognized as proper technique.Unfortunately for me, I didn't learn the "new style" until a couple of years ago (post-40th b'day) when I finally had myself video'd. I grew up in the 70's/80's time period Paul mentioned and we always were taught to have the water hit the tops of our goggles. It's a brutal habit to break. For those of us with that old school habit, I think you have to consciously think about looking at the bottom of the pool in order to achieve neutral head position.

RE: Head Position during Free

gdanner — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 04:46:46 GMT

Current Swimmer indicates the proper head position is 'low' in the water, more or less the oncoming water seeing the top of your head. On the other hand, many tell me to have the water line break the forehead, thus a higher head position than shown as 'right' in Swimmer (page 25). Advice to look to the bottom of the pool rather than forward plays into this matter. Any consensus here? A lift of the head directly correlates to either extra strain in the neck and upper shoulders or a drop in the hips. Neither is good in freestyle Just to help reach that consensus, I'll agree with the others. Unfortunately, at one stage in my life I was taught to keep a high eye line position, which directly attributed to a drop in my hips. This wasn't corrected until I was 16 or 17 years old and a visiting coach noticed it and suggested the change. I'm pretty sure that the neutral position is widely recognized as proper technique.

RE: Head Position during Free

ande — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 04:31:02 GMT

for pool swimming: your head should be neutral some swimmers hold their heads up too high which can cause their hips & legs to sink too low for open water swimming: keep your head neutral & pop it up now and then for buoy sighting, swimming straight, & or drafting

RE: Head Position during Free

TRYM_Swimmer — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 04:06:47 GMT

I wouldn't say "low", I would say "neutral" is the way to go. When I have my kids do planks (forward or side) in dryland I always stress alignment of head, shoulders, back and hips. So I guess you could also call it "aligned". A lift of the head directly correlates to either extra strain in the neck and upper shoulders or a drop in the hips. Neither is good in freestyle or backstroke. They don't call them long-axis strokes for nothing! =) Agree completely. Now if I could just consistently get rid of many years of bad head placement! I can definitely tell a difference. Some old habits do die hard.

RE: Head Position during Free

Redbird Alum — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 02:19:41 GMT

RE: Head Position during Free

pwolf66 — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 02:19:00 GMT

Current Swimmer indicates the proper head position is 'low' in the water, more or less the oncoming water seeing the top of your head. On the other hand, many tell me to have the water line break the forehead, thus a higher head position than shown as 'right' in Swimmer (page 25). Advice to look to the bottom of the pool rather than forward plays into this matter. Any consensus here? In the late 70's/80's the thought was to use the forehead like a rudder and have the water line right at the hair line which led to looking forward at about a 45 degree angle. This is still pretty close to how sprint freestyle is still performed. But for longer distances, stroke mechanics have evolved to create a neutral head position with the tip of the nose pointed towards the bottom of the pool to promote a cleaner, longer and straighter over all body line in the water.