I think head position depends on lot of variables. For example, Van den Hoogenband has his head almost out of water in some of his sprints. Also, body mass and speed could dictate how much head should be raised in order to have an efficient kick.
I personally promote higher head position, Ian Thorpe's position, if you have sufficient body flexibility and the right kicks to avoid sinking of the lower body.I would image a slightly U-curved body line when I do freestyle. Try it and you should feel like a speedy boat!
cart vs horse right here... head may rise due to high speed but raising the head to go faster is recipe for slowness. RE physics, Newton's right here... every action has equal + opposite reaction. If the head is raised then the hips will sink.
Things that work for boats don't necessarily work for swimmers. Humans barely top out at 5 mph, need 15 mph to hydroplane. look at how choppy small boats ride in the water before they hit their "sweet spot" speed...
Oh boy! I'm a german swim coach. This is so wrong! The water surface should be at the beginning of your hair (or where it used to be as a kid if you're bald). You would want a slight bend in your body center to get your chest area surfing on your front roller and your legs to surf on you back roller ( I hope roller is the right word for a rolling water movement).
A boat's propulsion comes from the low back end where the propeller is located. The faster you go, the more nose lift you get whether you like it not, some can't help flying for a moment. Swimmers' propulsion comes primarily from the arms no matter how strong their kick may be. Some people swim fast in spite of the wrong head position. A great swimmer could keep his head above the water and still beat most of us even if we put fins on. And he'd do much better with good head p-n.
Back to the topic start video analysing any good US swimmer. They all do it as I explained. I can understand, that you can breath easier with your head lower but it's not about breathing but about swiming fast. I anyway think you adjust your headposition to breathe behind the wave.
@bearoutdoors Search "Britta Steffen Gold Weltrekord 50m Freistil" :07-:09 seconds Britta is the white cap at the top of the screen... head is down. Biederman swims with a high head position that may explain why he can't perform nearly as well without extra lift from a tech suit. Search "Nathan Adrian upsets Cesar Cielo" 1:20-1:30 how can you argue against that? Then watch Cielo's 50 in Beijing, he never looks forward. Watch Sun Yang's 1500... the list goes on and on. Your method is dated.
High head position translates into a less streamlined body position and more surface (wave) drag. There is a mechanical advantage to arching the back slightly at the beginning of the catch to increase the power of the pull. This results in a slight head lift at that moment...but otherwise, keep the head down. The breath should be toward the back and to the side in order to keep the head down when it returns to the swim position. Also helps avoid swallowing water in open water swims.
If I am not mistaken, Glenn Mills of 'Goswim' advocates a high head position because he reasons it allows for more efficient breathing. Your comments please??
@atreya87 yes ive been told by some coaches that a slightly higher head position (at about 40-45 degrees) as it helps with more efficient breathing and reducing drag by cutting through the surface of the water rather then having the head submerged causing resistance from frontal drag
what swim is that?
lushy9160 3 days ago
I think head position depends on lot of variables. For example, Van den Hoogenband has his head almost out of water in some of his sprints. Also, body mass and speed could dictate how much head should be raised in order to have an efficient kick.
afara2000 2 weeks ago
I personally promote higher head position, Ian Thorpe's position, if you have sufficient body flexibility and the right kicks to avoid sinking of the lower body.I would image a slightly U-curved body line when I do freestyle. Try it and you should feel like a speedy boat!
mikelinyue 1 month ago
@mikelinyue Thorpe's head is high and so are his hips, that gives him the propulsion he needs when he kicks without sinking too much underwater.
ChaseJforabounce 3 weeks ago
cart vs horse right here... head may rise due to high speed but raising the head to go faster is recipe for slowness. RE physics, Newton's right here... every action has equal + opposite reaction. If the head is raised then the hips will sink.
Things that work for boats don't necessarily work for swimmers. Humans barely top out at 5 mph, need 15 mph to hydroplane. look at how choppy small boats ride in the water before they hit their "sweet spot" speed...
cyick709 2 months ago 2
Oh boy! I'm a german swim coach. This is so wrong! The water surface should be at the beginning of your hair (or where it used to be as a kid if you're bald). You would want a slight bend in your body center to get your chest area surfing on your front roller and your legs to surf on you back roller ( I hope roller is the right word for a rolling water movement).
bearoutdoors 2 months ago
Comment removed
factualfilms 2 months ago
Comment removed
factualfilms 2 months ago
@bearoutdoors Not much success at international level for German swimmers...go figure!
factualfilms 2 months ago
@factualfilms yeah thats true that german coach probably doesnt know how to swim and is making up crap
BaconAndEggsFTW 2 months ago
@BaconAndEggsFTW good enough to get invitetd to several US university swim teams?! By the way what's wrong with german swimmers?
Take a look at the basic physics. Any fast boat is higher in the front riding in the firs wave and has its propeller in it's second wave.
Why would that be considered perfect for a boat but not for a human body?
bearoutdoors 2 months ago
A boat's propulsion comes from the low back end where the propeller is located. The faster you go, the more nose lift you get whether you like it not, some can't help flying for a moment. Swimmers' propulsion comes primarily from the arms no matter how strong their kick may be. Some people swim fast in spite of the wrong head position. A great swimmer could keep his head above the water and still beat most of us even if we put fins on. And he'd do much better with good head p-n.
ijelev68 2 months ago
@factualfilms Biedermann?!
Back to the topic start video analysing any good US swimmer. They all do it as I explained. I can understand, that you can breath easier with your head lower but it's not about breathing but about swiming fast. I anyway think you adjust your headposition to breathe behind the wave.
bearoutdoors 2 months ago
@bearoutdoors Search "Britta Steffen Gold Weltrekord 50m Freistil" :07-:09 seconds Britta is the white cap at the top of the screen... head is down. Biederman swims with a high head position that may explain why he can't perform nearly as well without extra lift from a tech suit. Search "Nathan Adrian upsets Cesar Cielo" 1:20-1:30 how can you argue against that? Then watch Cielo's 50 in Beijing, he never looks forward. Watch Sun Yang's 1500... the list goes on and on. Your method is dated.
theraceclub 2 months ago
Yes, I've noticed Ian Thorpe's style has the head higher. Could he have swum more efficiently with a lowered head position?
FruitarianSwimster 2 months ago
High head position translates into a less streamlined body position and more surface (wave) drag. There is a mechanical advantage to arching the back slightly at the beginning of the catch to increase the power of the pull. This results in a slight head lift at that moment...but otherwise, keep the head down. The breath should be toward the back and to the side in order to keep the head down when it returns to the swim position. Also helps avoid swallowing water in open water swims.
Gary Sr.
garyhallsr1 3 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
this all sucks
TheRenegadeGod 3 months ago
If I am not mistaken, Glenn Mills of 'Goswim' advocates a high head position because he reasons it allows for more efficient breathing. Your comments please??
atreya87 3 months ago
@atreya87 yes ive been told by some coaches that a slightly higher head position (at about 40-45 degrees) as it helps with more efficient breathing and reducing drag by cutting through the surface of the water rather then having the head submerged causing resistance from frontal drag
Maccaism 2 months ago
LEFT EAR ACHING WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU?
viciouswhips 4 months ago