What lifting the head to breathe is
In freestyle, lifting the head to breathe means the head rises up as well as turning to the side, so both goggles come clear of the water.
It usually comes from worrying that the mouth will not clear the surface, so the head climbs to make sure.
Why it costs you
When the head goes up, the hips and legs go down. The stroke stalls for a moment on every breath, and then has to build back up.
The arm in front often sinks or pushes down at the same time, to prop the head up.
How to fix it
Turn the head with the body roll instead of raising it, and keep one goggle in the water.
As you move forward, a small pocket of air forms beside your head, just below the normal waterline. Breathe into that pocket.
Breathe out steadily under the water between breaths, so the turn only has to take air in.
One drill to try
- Kick on your side with the lower arm stretched forward and your face looking down.
- Roll the face up to breathe with your ear resting on the forward arm.
- Roll back to face down, then repeat until the turn feels easy.
How to film it so Llyr can read it
Stand your phone on the pool deck, side-on to your lane, on the side you breathe to. Llyr shows you how to frame the shot.
From the side, Llyr sees your head against the waterline as you turn to breathe.
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 rises as well as turns on breath after breath, Llyr names it Lifted breath 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 One goggle stays in.
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.