Body position mistakes in freestyle

Mistakes in this area usually mean that swimmers have done something to disturb their (1) horizontal or (2) lateral alignment.

1. The major mistakes that cause a loss of streamlined horizontal alignment are trying to hydroplane and kicking too deep. In both cases, the body inclines too far downward from the head to the feet, causing it to take up too much space in the water and thereby increasing its resistance to forward progress.
2. Most of the mistakes that disrupt lateral alignment have to do with the armstroke. These are over-reaching, recovering the arm too wide, and pushing water in during the insweep. These mistakes cause swimmers to wiggle down the pool like a snake.

Another way swimmers can disrupt their lateral alignment is by pulling the head back when they breathe. This causes the trunk to twist to the side when breathing, which in turn causes the hips to swing to the opposite side. This sideward swinging increases the space the swimmer takes up in the water and creates additional resistive drag.