What a high head is
A high head in freestyle means you look forward down the pool, so the water meets your forehead or your goggles instead of the crown of your head.
It feels natural, because you can see where you are going. In the water it works against you.
Why it costs you
The body works like a seesaw. Raising the head pushes the hips and legs down, and that sloping shape adds drag.
It is one of the most common reasons a swimmer’s legs sink, and the kick then has to work hard just to hold them up.
How to fix it
Look at the pool floor just ahead of you, with the waterline near the crown of your head.
Relax the neck and let the water hold the head, so the hips rise toward the surface. Turn the head only to breathe, then return it to the same place.
In open water you still need to look forward to sight. Keep it a quick glance, then return your face to looking down.
One drill to try
- Push off the wall and glide face down with your arms stretched forward.
- Change only where you look, from the far wall to the floor below you.
- Feel how the hips and heels rise as the eyes go down.
How to film it so Llyr can read it
Stand your phone on the pool deck, side-on to your lane, with your whole body in the frame. Llyr shows you how to frame the shot.
From the side, Llyr sees your head against the waterline on every stroke.
Already have a clip? You can import a video you filmed earlier. Read the full filming guide.
What you see in Llyr
When the head rides high stroke after stroke, Llyr names it Head up and shows it on a still from your own video.
Its glyph is a dashed waterline with the head ringed above it.
The cue to take into your next set is Look at the pool floor.
A high head and low hips often go together, so read that page next.
Llyr is a second set of eyes, not a coach. Check each correction on the replay, and if your coach sees it differently, go with your coach.