Head Positioning Drills to Maintain Proper Alignment in Freestyle

Proper head positioning is one of the most important elements of an efficient freestyle stroke. When your head is correctly aligned, your body stays balanced and streamlined, reducing drag and making swimming easier and faster. However, many swimmers struggle with lifting their heads too high, looking too far forward, or tilting their heads incorrectly while breathing, which all lead to inefficiencies and wasted energy.

This article will cover the importance of proper head position in freestyle, common mistakes, and drills to improve alignment and efficiency.

1️⃣ Why Head Positioning Matters in Freestyle

The position of your head directly affects your body alignment, balance, and propulsion in the water. When your head is too high or too low, it causes resistance and inefficiency in your stroke.

✅ Benefits of Proper Head Positioning

✔️ Reduces Drag – Keeping your head neutral improves water flow over your body, making you swim faster.

✔️ Maintains Body Balance – A stable head position prevents sinking legs and excessive effort.

✔️ Improves Breathing Efficiency – Helps you breathe smoothly without disrupting stroke rhythm.

✔️ Prevents Neck & Shoulder Strain – Reduces unnecessary tension, making swimming feel more relaxed.

🔥 Ideal Head Position: Your eyes should look downward and slightly forward (45-degree angle), with your head in a neutral position, allowing your body to stay balanced.

2️⃣ Common Head Position Mistakes in Freestyle

🚫 Lifting the Head Too High While Swimming – Causes hips and legs to sink, increasing resistance.

🚫 Looking Too Far Forward – Creates strain in the neck and slows you down.

🚫 Over-Rotating Head During Breathing – Leads to disruptions in body alignment.

🚫 Holding the Head Too Stiffly – Reduces stroke fluidity and efficiency.

🔥 Fix: Focus on keeping the head still and in line with the spine, only moving it when necessary for breathing.

3️⃣ Best Drills to Improve Head Positioning in Freestyle

🏊‍♂️ 1. Eyes on the Black Line Drill

✅ Purpose: Helps swimmers maintain a neutral head position and avoid looking too far forward.

How to Do It:

1️⃣ Swim freestyle while keeping your eyes fixed on the black line at the bottom of the pool.

2️⃣ Focus on relaxing your neck and keeping the waterline at your forehead.

3️⃣ Avoid looking up—keep vision angled downward (not straight down).

🔥 Tip: If the water is splashing onto your goggles excessively, your head might be too low.

🏊‍♂️ 2. Superman Glide Drill

✅ Purpose: Reinforces proper head positioning and balance in the water.

How to Do It:

1️⃣ Push off from the wall in a streamline position, keeping arms extended and face in the water.

2️⃣ Maintain a neutral head position, with eyes looking slightly forward (not straight down).

3️⃣ Glide as far as possible, focusing on keeping your hips high.

🔥 Tip: If your legs sink, check if your head is lifting too much.

🏊‍♂️ 3. Silent Swimming Drill

✅ Purpose: Teaches body awareness and relaxed head positioning.

How to Do It:

1️⃣ Swim freestyle as quietly as possible, making minimal splashing.

2️⃣ Keep your head still and balanced, allowing your body to glide smoothly.

3️⃣ Focus on a long, streamlined stroke while breathing minimally.

🔥 Tip: Excessive bobbing or water sloshing noises indicate that your head isn’t stable enough.

🏊‍♂️ 4. Tennis Ball Drill

✅ Purpose: Trains swimmers to keep their heads still and aligned.

How to Do It:

1️⃣ Place a tennis ball on your forehead while swimming freestyle.

2️⃣ Try to keep the ball in place without letting it fall off.

3️⃣ If the ball falls, your head is moving too much.

🔥 Tip: Use this drill for short distances (25m) and gradually increase as you improve.

🏊‍♂️ 5. Head-Tap Drill

✅ Purpose: Improves awareness of head alignment during swimming.

How to Do It:

1️⃣ Swim freestyle and, every four strokes, tap your forehead lightly with your hand.

2️⃣ This keeps your head in check and prevents excessive movement.

3️⃣ Continue swimming while maintaining a neutral head position.

🔥 Tip: Use a gentle tap—if your hand has to reach too far forward, your head might be too low.

🏊‍♂️ 6. Paddle Balance Drill

✅ Purpose: Reinforces head control and body stability.

How to Do It:

1️⃣ Place a swim paddle (or small flat object) on your forehead while swimming.

2️⃣ Swim freestyle without letting the paddle slip off.

3️⃣ Helps maintain a steady, aligned head position.

🔥 Tip: Try this drill with different breathing patterns to challenge your stability.

4️⃣ Head Positioning and Breathing Coordination

To maintain efficient breathing while swimming freestyle, your head should rotate naturally with your body rather than lifting separately.

✅ Proper Breathing Technique:

✔️ Turn Your Head Slightly – Rotate just enough to get one eye above the waterline.

✔️ Exhale Underwater – Prevents gasping for air when turning to breathe.

✔️ Keep Your Forehead in the Water – Avoid lifting your whole head up.

✔️ Breathe Every 3 Strokes – Helps balance rotation and prevents over-rotation.

🔥 Drill: Try the Side-Kick Breathing Drill—kick on your side while keeping one goggle in the water to practice minimal head movement during breath-taking.

5️⃣ Sample Freestyle Head Positioning Workout (1,500m Total)

🔹 Warm-Up (300m)

• 100m easy freestyle

• 100m streamline kick

• 100m silent swimming drill

🔹 Technique Drills (600m)

• 4 x 50m Eyes on the Black Line Drill

• 4 x 50m Superman Glide Drill

• 4 x 50m Tennis Ball Drill

🔹 Main Set (400m)

• 4 x 100m freestyle, focusing on neutral head positioning

🔹 Cool Down (200m)

• 100m easy backstroke

• 100m relaxed freestyle

🔥 Tip: Incorporate one or two of these drills into your regular training sessions for consistent improvement.

Final Takeaways: Mastering Head Position in Freestyle

✅ Keep Your Head Neutral – Avoid lifting or looking too far forward.

✅ Align with Your Spine – A balanced head keeps your whole body streamlined.

✅ Use Drills to Reinforce Stability – Tennis ball, paddle balance, and glide drills help minimize excess movement.

✅ Coordinate Breathing with Rotation – Turn your head naturally with your shoulders, not independently.

✅ Practice Consistently – Small corrections over time lead to major improvements in freestyle efficiency.

By improving head positioning, swimmers can experience smoother, faster, and more energy-efficient freestyle strokes—leading to better endurance and performance in the pool! 🏊‍♂️🔥