Balance and Natural Position
There are three non-articulate (non-moving) major blocks in the body: The Head Block, The Rib Block, and the Pelvic Block… we do have a tiny bit of articulation in the Rib Block. Each block is separated by an articulate (movable) coil. The Neck Coil is located between the Head Block and Rib Block, and the Waist Coil is located between the Rib Blocand the Pelvic Block. The axes of the three blocks are not in a straight line, hence the curves iriour spine in the neck and lower back. We must learn to manipulate the Neck Coil, the Rib Block and the Waist Coil to try to line up the axes of the three blocks. We manipulate the Neck Coil to create a long neck by pulling the head back and up. We manipulate the Rib Block by pulling the ribs in and keeping the shoulders back (without arching the back). We manipulate the Waist Coil by pulling the bellybutton into the spine. This will create The Line which is the best posture for swimming. We try to maintain the Integrity of the Line as much as possible while using the extremities for balance, energy transfer, and propulsion.
The natural position in the water for humans will have the head, arms, waist, and legs hanging down due to gravity. The lungs will float due to buoyancy. This is similar to the shape of a question mark(?) which is not very efficient for swimming. We need to try and straighten out(?) as much as possible. Think of a see-saw with a large person on one side and a small person on the other. Since we cannot change the size of either person, or adjust the lever (what the see-saw rests on), our best chance to level the see-saw would be to have the small person lay back, extend his arms, and press down. We cannot manipulate gravity, but we can manipulate buoyancy!
The more unbalanced you are the more of your energy that will have to be directed towards establishing The Line before you can begin to move forward. If you start kicking with your feet12 inches below the surface of the water, the initial energy from your kick will be used to bring your feet up to the surface before you can begin to go forward. If you can manipulate your buoyancy and bring your feet to just a few inches below the surface of the water, then there will be less energy from your kick that will have to be wasted on bringing your feet to the surface. That means that more of the energy from your kick can go towards moving you forward!
Better swimming.
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