Technique Tuesday: The Head is Most Important

As with many sports there is considerable work done in all facets of athleticism to achieve the desired goal. It should be noted that in order to achieve the optimum result in technique, in particular, there must be a large portion of work done outside of the water as well.

The biggest challenge of swimming is maintaining proper posture/position/alignment/balance in the water. A common mistake, often instilled in younger swimmers and reinforced through tireless drilling, is improper head position. The mistake is allowing young and new swimmers to continue lifting their heads out of alignment and breaking the body line.

Your head dictates the direction your body moves through the water and is positioned in the water. When your body is placed in the water, the position your head directs will dictate how your body follows. If your body is laid face down, flat on the surface of the water, arms pinned at your side, and you tilt your chin to your chest as a force is applied to your body in the direction of your head you will begin to submerge.

The problem with a lot of coaching direction is generalized statements. "Lift your chin up", "Put your head back", "Put your chin down to your chest", and many others. The problem with these statements is a lack of clear distinct direction. Your head should never move your neck out of alignment with the rest of your spine. The best position you can maintain is trying to hold a straight line from the base of your skull where your spinal cord attaches, all the way down to the fused vertebrae (coccyx) in your pelvis. Now this task will be impossible because of the natural curvature of your spine, but by trying to maintain as long a line as possible here, you can extend your body vessel. The sensation will be to lead your body through the water by the top of your head. Your chin will not rest solely on your chest and you won't tilt your head back. Your head should be resting in a neutral position.

Head to your local water hole and try it out. Floating. Swimming. Drilling. It will feel vastly different from what you may be accustomed to. Make sure you try this with all 4 strokes. Remember this head position is key for all competitive strokes.

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