{"id":67222,"date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-07T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.arenaswim.com\/uncategorized\/heads-position-makes-all-the-difference-in-swimming-learn-to-correct-your-position\/"},"modified":"2024-08-04T23:58:33","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T21:58:33","slug":"heads-position-makes-all-the-difference-in-swimming-learn-to-correct-your-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.arenaswim.com\/en\/training-technique\/heads-position-makes-all-the-difference-in-swimming-learn-to-correct-your-position\/","title":{"rendered":"Swim With Your Head: Improve Your Freestyle Head Position"},"content":{"rendered":"

Proper freestyle head position is crucial to your overall freestyle technique.<\/strong> Good head position will help you swim quickly and efficiently. One of the most common mistakes in freestyle is swimming with your head too high, which causes drag. The best way to improve freestyle head position is to focus on your form and environmental aspects of your swimming.<\/span><\/p>\n

After reading this article, you will understand the appropriate head position to use while swimming freestyle<\/strong>. We will go over the role freestyle head position plays in the relationship between propulsion and drag during the different phases of your stroke cycle. Then, we will cover some common mistakes with head position and provide some training tips for you to practice. We will end with some pointers on how to optimize your environmental conditions, so they become conducive to practicing with good form.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Fundamentals of Correct Head Position<\/b><\/h2>\n

Whether you are learning how to swim for recreation, a seasoned triathlete, or an Olympic swimmer, understanding proper freestyle head position is necessary. When you swim with the correct head position, you will move through the water more efficiently and with greater speed.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, focus on holding your head and neck in a neutral position. As you swim, you should be looking at the bottom of the pool. Do not raise your head to look in the direction you are swimming. Raising your head will create drag and slow you down. What is more, holding your head in a raised position <\/span>can lead to shoulder pain<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

To avoid the issue of raising your head while you swim, imagine a line starting at the top of your head and continuing through your spine. The goal is to keep this imaginary line straight. If you were to raise your head, you would bend the line, and your head, neck, and spine would no longer be even.<\/span><\/p>\n

Focusing on keeping a neutral neck position, looking at the bottom of the pool, and visualizing the imaginary line are great ways to develop the fundamentals of correct freestyle head position. Once you feel comfortable with the fundamentals, you can move on to the nuances of head positioning to optimize the relationship between propulsion and drag reduction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Increase Propulsion and Decrease Drag<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Swimmer<\/p>\n

As a swimmer, water resistance is a constant. On the one hand, it is the element that allows you to pull through the water with each stroke to propel yourself forward. On the other hand, it is constantly at work against you and slows you down as you move through the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your head position plays a vital role in the relationship between propulsion and drag. It is, after all, the foremost part of your body moving through the water, so it is essential to focus on proper form so you can swim with power and reduce frontal drag. Let’s go over the optimal freestyle head position to use during the different phases of your stroke.<\/span><\/p>\n

Freestyle Head Position During the Propulsive Phase<\/b><\/h3>\n

As your arm pulls through the water to propel yourself forward, the lower back naturally begins to arch. The arching of your lower back is necessary so that you can exert more force through your pull.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your head will naturally raise slightly as the lower back arches during your pull phase. This is acceptable because maximizing the amount of force generated during your pull phase is essential. However, you will still want to ensure that your eyes look downward and that your head does not raise too much. Don\u2019t forget about your fundamentals as your swimming skills continue to improve.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just because your head raises slightly during the pull phase of your stroke cycle does not mean it should stay up there. So, let’s move on to how you can reduce drag during a different part of your cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Freestyle Head Position to Reduce Drag<\/b><\/h3>\n

There is a moment during your stroke cycle where your head should dip slightly underwater to reduce drag. Right as your arm enters the water in the recovery stage of your stroke, your head should be slightly submerged. During this moment, your body will be in the most streamlined position it can be during the freestyle stroke’s swimming phase.<\/span><\/p>\n

Water resistance is greater at the surface than it is underwater. This is why the streamline during the <\/span>underwater phase of a swim<\/span><\/a> event is the fastest part of the race. When you allow your head to submerge itself slightly under the waterline while one arm is extended in front of you and the other is just completing its pull phase, you can reduce drag and maintain more of the forward energy provided from the pull phase.<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, don\u2019t forget your fundamentals. Only allow your head to dip just enough under the surface to reduce your drag. Dropping your head too low could increase drag.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Fix Common Head Position Mistakes<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Freestyle<\/p>\n

Improper head position can come from poor upper body position or from your hips dropping too low in the water. If you improve your body position in these two areas, it will be easier to maintain good head position while you swim.<\/span><\/p>\n

Improve Head, Neck, and Upper Body Position\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Freestyle head position is often related to incorrect placement of the upper body, or the neck, shoulders, and upper back. To correct these issues, you can try two different workouts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Swim Workout<\/b><\/h4>\n

Use a <\/span>swim snorkel<\/span><\/a> and concentrate on the correct position of your head. Remember to keep a neutral neck position, look at the bottom of the pool, and visualize the imaginary line running through your head, neck, and spine. <\/span><\/p>\n