One of the great things about practice is that we can always get better. Over the coming weeks, I will be reviewing five freestyle blunders commonly seen in the Masters swimming community and providing suggestions for addressing them at practice. 

 

This week, we begin with head position. We all know the importance of proper head position, but contrary to your old age group coach drilling you to put your head down, I’m hoping to dig a little deeper. 

 

Your head is responsible for your swimming posture. When positioned correctly, it provides balance, reduces drag, and leads the rest of your body to a more efficient stroke. As experienced swimmers, you understand the importance of head position. What you may not know is that finding the best head position for you is much easier said than done. Head position is relative to your body composition. Telling the team to put their heads down may be the easiest way for a coach to get group results, but there is no universal way to correctly position your head. 

 

Consider your body’s alignment. Have you ever been in the water and felt like you were swimming uphill? Or had days when your feet seem to be scraping the bottom of the pool? When swimming freestyle, lifting your head causes your hips to drop. When your alignment feels out of whack, try adjusting your head position until your hips stay at or just below the surface. Chances are you’ll immediately feel lighter and faster in the water.