Hips sink during sculling

While sculling on the back the hips drop and the body folds, often because the hands push down or the tummy relaxes.

Activities that help

• Back Layout Hold – The basic artistic swimming position: body straight on the surface, face, chest, thighs and toes at the surface, held with a support scull.
• Basic Sculling Control – Small, continuous figure-of-eight hand movements that hold the body still on the back, then move it head-first – the foundation skill for swimming, water polo and artistic swimming.
• Bent-Knee Lift Preparation – From a back layout, slide one foot up the other leg to a bent knee and hold it – the preparation for leg lifts, kept firmly at introductory level.
• Feet-First Scull – On the back, swimmers change their hand angle to travel feet-first – real control of sculling rather than flapping.
• Hips-Up Sculling Check – Partners check that the hips stay at the surface while sculling, using a light touch cue and short holds – a direct fix for sinking hips.
• One-Arm Wave in Layout – Scull in a back layout with one hand while the other arm lifts slowly out of the water and waves – keeping the body steady as the support changes.
• Support Scull on the Spot – Hold a back layout completely still beside a floating marker using a support scull – the skill behind every stationary artistic position.
• Wall-Supported Leg Extension – With the hands holding the wall behind, swimmers lift one extended leg towards vertical from a back layout – an introductory, supported version of a leg-lift position.