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Freestyle - High Hips

Posted by Glenn Mills on Dec 07, 2010 07:52AM (29,694 views)

It's amazing what having your hips just a couple inches higher in freestyle can mean to your efficiency and speed.  While there are many body-position drills you can do to learn this, some swimmers may feel they just don't have time to work on drills.

Why Do It:
The higher the hips, the less resistance you create with the back half of your body.  This means it'll be easier for you to move through the water.

How to Do It:
1.  Obviously, you'll think about this during any freestyle swim or set.
2.  Focus your attention on your hips, and their connection with the surface of the water.
3.  There will be a few options for you to get your hips a bit higher... lower the head, tilt the pelvis, tighten the abs, kick a bit more... the list goes on.  It'll be up to you to determine which works best and which you can accomplish most consistently.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):
Make sure you're always showing some part of your hips or suit above the surface... at all times (during swimming).  Don't allow your hips to drop back under and continue to focus on the muscles you'll be using to accomplish this.


Tags freestyle, bodyline, balance, head position


Responses

Responded Dec 07, 2010 04:01PM

I really don`t know about this one, although it makes a lot of sense.
I hear coaches saying that it is better to swim through the water, others that hips must be up. Swimmers like Jason Lezak literally swim under and through the water and others like Britta Stephen keep their hips really high.

What has worked well for me is to sprint focusing on hips out of the water and for mid distance swims to swim through the water. The kick is very different from one position to another.
Responded Dec 07, 2010 04:41PM

I like the camera moving with the swimmer. At first I thought it was an endless pool. Galileo's relativity rules.
Responded Dec 07, 2010 04:42PM

No EP here... just steady hands and tip toes. :)
Responded Dec 07, 2010 06:12PM

I completely agree with this video, Glenn...and so does scientific research. Several studies, including a recent publication from Harvard in January 2009, have examined the associations between hydrodynamics and kinematics to produce fast swimmers. The very basic, and incredible understated conclusions, explain that as surface tension decreases propulsion/speed inversely increases. This has been shown in many different ways, and Harvard chose to use 'Effective Foot Velocity' (EFV) to determine useful (aka: propulsive) motion. However, this can be a difficult concept for any coach to understand. Ultimately we want the feet and arms to maximize force underwater (maximum EFV), yet we want the other parts of the body (hips, butt, shoulders, back, etc) to be out of the water to minimize surface tension; it's a tough and delicate balance. Although Jason Lezak might occasionally drop his hips, I sincerely doubt that's his goal, nor do I believe he would he TEACH low-hips. There will always be idiosyncrasies, yet science (and GoSwim) are showing the gold standard for the REST of us..."normal" people! :)
Responded Dec 07, 2010 07:22PM

Craig or Glenn, is the issue here low body position or low hips relative to the upper body. I can get my hips up even with my upper body by pressing my upper body downward, but my butt definitely is not protruding out of the water. When I watch the best swimmers, they always seem to have the butt out of the water at any speed. I haven't figured it out yet. I struggle with the whole tilt the pelvis concept, I end up kind of arching my back but it amounts to my midsection sinking and nothing else. I'm wondering if that drill where you just lay there in superman position and try to keep horizontal (without kicking) might help. My legs ALWAYS sink while trying that, but maybe if I keep working on it? The other issue I have is sinking a little during certain parts of the stroke cycle. I'm not sure if it is related to too much downward force of the arms or just losing sense of balance in certain parts of the stroke.
Responded Dec 07, 2010 07:51PM

Hi Tarik. There is so much that goes into your answer without seeing you swim, it would be wrong of me to offer a solution. If we can narrow a bit however... how old are you, and what type of swimming are you training for? Open water, triathlon, masters, or competitive youth? Thanks.
Responded Dec 07, 2010 08:21PM

it's thesame for me. continuous research of balancing of two opposite.
Responded Dec 08, 2010 01:42AM

Hi Glenn, I'm 43. I'm really not training for an specific type of swimming because I haven't really found my niche. I just joined a masters team this week after realizing that I can get no farther without some coaching.

Responded Dec 08, 2010 04:28AM

Felt like I was swimming downhill today. Big workout for me because I'm learning the bilateral breathing. Coach noticed that on my weak side that my head was diving to low. Other than that, It is great. Just have to get the balance going and aerobic stamina. Is it ok that the heels of your feet are kicking above water line? I would assume that this should be done in Breast and Fly.
Responded Dec 12, 2010 07:37AM

My feet come out of the water too much when my bumm is that high. Do I bend my knees too much?
Responded Dec 12, 2010 09:00PM

Sprinter, I think you probably kick fine. Your bum needs to be just below the surface otherwise your feet will break the surface. Don't change your natural style would be my advice
Responded Dec 13, 2010 06:40AM

Thanks GW, my coach also said it looks fine. I actually feel quite well with hips that high. I just need to keep my head on the right position, otherwise I arch my back (when head too high) or creat too much drag when my head is too low. Work in progress hehe :)
Responded Dec 15, 2010 05:54AM

BTW, Glenn, are you going to make a Ryan Lochte DVD? Is it going to be Ba or IM? :)
Responded Dec 17, 2010 07:22PM

Sprinter, put me in the camp that just wants to see your bum.
Responded Feb 28, 2011 09:03AM

Ryan Lochte IS MY FAVOURITE SWIMMER ...WISH I CAN BE LIKE HIM ONE DAY

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