Swimming: clues needed

[slowSSer]

on that note, how can I swim with my feet up without being 2 feet under water.

my first thought- what is your head position? when swimming free, where are your eyes pointed?

why i ask- take head position on backstroke. two options:
-chin tucked to your chest- hips go down and you're going through the water at an angle (head up, feet down 2' or so)
-chin pointed towards the sky- hips come up and you're much more flat in the water.

People always talk about "getting your hips up", but they don't realize that it starts with head position. It can be a light bulb moment for some, regardless of age/swimming ability.

EDIT: there's another thing to think about with kicking. It should use the whole leg and involve very flexible ankles (the important part here) to kick fast. if sitting on the ground with legs extended, can you point your toes away from you?

[mmoore]

thanks for the responses guys...

I will try to answer your questions when I have power back in my core. I had an "accident" on a vintage stand-up jetski 2 weekends ago that seems to have done some kind of damage that is slow to heal... my left pectoral I can just begin to flex and it only mildly hurts to do a sit up now. swimming form stands no chance.