Tip required on bent hips problem

[gnulab]

Hi,

I guess the title pretty much sums up this posting. I'm still learning how to be 100% horizontal, and I thought I had, only when my friend took a shot and I realize that I'm still bending at my hips.

During a dive, from time to time, I do a simple check using my hand to feel if I'm bending, and always the hand says "you're doing fine". But the picture says otherwise.

So, I'm requesting for tips how to be 100% horizontal.

Thanks
Henry

PS. hope I'm posting in the right "room".

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

- Hip flexor streches can help.
- Squeeze the butt muscles while diving, practice this technique while standing on one leg.
- Arch your back (lower back) trying to create a U shape, but don't go too crazy, remember squeeze the butt muscles more so.
- Make sure you're not too head heavy in the water, this can cause one to bend at the hips to compensate for the head heavy attitude.

Hope this helps,
Ryan

 

[TSandM]

I've read various things, like "arch your back", or "squeeze your buttocks", but trying to implement them tended to give me backaches. What worked for me was to think about trying to be as LONG from my shoulders to my knees as I could. If I try to get my knees as far from my shoulders as they'll go, I end up straightening out those hip joints.

Lying on the floor on your stomach and lifting your knees off the ground will help you identify the buttock muscles you need to use.

 

[ajduplessis]

Lift your feet up, bending them at the knees 90 degrees. You will have to make use of any of the modified kicks (frog, flutter etc). Good way learn a new skill + your posture and buoyancy will be a whole lot better! Works for me.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I think it all works better for me with head a little lower than hips; for me perfect trim is not horizontal.

 

[SkimFisher]

I'm having trouble visualizing "bent hips"...

Waist - bends
Knees - bend
Elbows - bend
Unlucky (or stupid) divers - bend

Do you mean to say that you are foot heavy?

Just never heard quite this description before...

 

[LiteHedded]

stand on one leg. with the other leg bent in a proper trim position push that leg out behind you. you'll feel it in your glutes and hamstrings. this is the feedback you want to look for in the water.
arching your back is a no no

this comes from my awesome fundamentals instructor who also runs a pilates studio. so take that for what it's worth

 

[TSandM]

Bent hips is where the hip joint is flexed, so that the torso is horizontal, but the thighs are closer to vertical (picture a diver seated in a chair, then rotate that diver 90 degrees). It's a very common problem with new divers, and with them, often leads to bicycle kicking. For technical divers, it's usually not that severe, but it's easy to let your knees drop just a bit (I have a lot of pictures of me in open water when I have done that).

 

[SkimFisher]

ok. makes sense now. thanks for explaining.

 

[TSandM]

Here's a picture of me with my knees dropped:

Here's one with them up: