Front Crawl Swimming Drills – Head-Lead Looking Down

Head-Lead Looking Down is the next one in our series of drills to learn swimming the front crawl. Now you try to maintain horizontal balance while rolling from side to side under water.

This is an advanced balance drill. Once you have mastered it you’ll have all the balance you ever need for swimming front crawl (and even backstroke).

TopSync

Instructions

The starting position is the same one as in the previous Head-Lead Side Balance and Head-Lead Nose Up / Nose Down drills (Sweet Spot):

• Your body is rolled on the side, at an 45° angle from a flat position.
• Your face is turned upward.
• Your arms are kept at the sides.
• You use a supple flutter kick for propulsion.

When you are balanced, do the following:

• Roll your body further until it is at an 90° angle with the water surface and your face is turned downward.
• Continue to flutter kick.

Take a few moments to insure that you are still balanced, then do the following:

• Still roll further in the same direction until you are back in the initial position but floating on the other side of your body.
• Roll your body as a unit, don’t anticipate the rotation with your head.

Take a few moments to regain balance and take a few breaths. Then roll back towards the first side using the same technique, and so on.

BottomSync

Swimming Drill Tips

• Don’t use your arms or your hands to initiate the rotation but rather use your kick.
• Don’t hold your breath while the head is submerged, exhale continously through your nose and/or your mouth. A nose clip can help by keeping water out of the nose.
• Try to directly dial into the initial position as you roll towards it from the nose down position.

 Previous Drill – Head-Lead Nose Up/Nose Down Next Drill – Hand-Lead Side Balance