#1 RULE IN DEFENSE

In water polo, offense may win highlights, but defense wins games. Every successful defender, no matter their size or strength, has one thing in common: they control their body position in the water.

The number one rule? Keep your hips high.

When your hips sink, you lose balance, mobility, and control. When your hips stay high, you can move in any direction — forward, backward, or sideways — and cover far more space. A defender’s quality is directly proportional to the space they can control.

This blog breaks down the key defensive movements:

• Why hips high matters.

• Moving forward with power.

• Moving backward with control.

• Switching between vertical and horizontal.

• How to train these skills consistently.

Whether you’re 10–14 and just learning, or an advanced player refining your craft, these fundamentals never stop being important.

1. The Foundation: Why Hips High Matters

When your hips are high:

• You stay balanced, ready to react.

• You can move quickly in any direction.

• You make yourself bigger, harder to drive around.

When your hips drop:

• You sink into a vertical, “lazy” position.

• Movement becomes slow and arm-dominant.

• Attackers easily swim around or over you.

Visual Cue: If your speedo (or swimsuit waistband) is visible above water, your hips are high enough. That’s your baseline for strong defense.

2. Moving Forward in Defense

2.1 Purpose

You move forward when:

• Pressuring an attacker.

• Closing distance to prevent a shot.

• Making controlled contact to foul and reset.

2.2 Technique

• Keep hips high with eggbeater.

• Lean slightly forward through the chest.

• Drive legs hard, using short arm sculls for balance.

2.3 Why It Works

With hips down, forward pressure collapses — you end up pushing with arms, which tires you quickly and leaves gaps. With hips high, you attack with your legs, which are stronger and more sustainable.

3. Moving Backward in Defense

3.1 Purpose

You move backward when:

• An attacker drives at you.

• You need to stay goal-side while matching their speed.

• You’re protecting against entry passes.

3.2 Technique

• Think of a reverse eggbeater.

• Kick legs to push yourself backward, not just pulling with arms.

• Keep hips high, chest upright, hands active for balance.

3.3 Why It Works

Backpedaling with arms only = you’ll sink, lose balance, and the attacker beats you. Using your legs keeps your body tall, mobile, and in control — you dictate the pace of the drive.

4. Switching From Vertical to Horizontal

4.1 Purpose

Defense requires both stability and mobility.

• Vertical = balance, blocking shots, body presence.

• Horizontal = speed, sliding laterally, covering space.

4.2 Technique

• From vertical eggbeater, give one strong lift with legs.

• Extend hips forward into a flat, horizontal position.

• Continue eggbeatering to keep buoyancy while sliding.

4.3 Why It Works

Attackers exploit defenders who are “stuck” vertical. By switching to horizontal instantly, you can slide across and take away passing or driving lanes. Then, return to vertical to regain stability. The faster the switch, the harder you are to beat.

5. Putting It Together: Defensive Flow

A great defender flows between these movements seamlessly:

1. Start vertical to read the play.

2. Shift horizontal to slide with an attacker or adjust to the ball.

3. Move forward to pressure or foul when needed.

4. Move backward to stay goal-side against drives.

It’s a constant cycle of adjusting hips, legs, and body position.

6. Common Mistakes in Defensive Movement

❌ Hips sinking: Leads to slow reactions and fouls.
❌ Overusing arms: Causes fatigue, weak movement.
❌ Late transitions: Waiting too long to switch vertical ↔ horizontal.
❌ Panicking backward: Losing balance instead of controlled reverse eggbeater.

7. Training Drills

7.1 Hips High Drill

• Partner checks if your suit waistband is visible.

• Swim half-length in defense with hips up.

7.2 Forward Pressure Drill

• Defender advances with hips high, attacker resists lightly.

• Focus on using legs, not arms.

7.3 Backward Drive Drill

• Attacker drives at defender.

• Defender practices controlled backward movement, staying goal-side.

7.4 Transition Drill

• Coach calls “vertical” or “horizontal.”

• Players switch instantly, maintaining eggbeater.

8. Teaching These Skills to Youth (10–14)

At this age, it’s about building habits:

• Teach hips high early — by 14, this must be automatic.

• Use short, simple drills (forward, backward, switch).

• Reinforce with fun challenges: “Whose hips are higher longest?”

• Correct mistakes early — body position is hardest to fix later.

9. Why This Matters Long-Term

Bad habits compound. Doing the wrong body position until age 14 could take years to fix. One wrong rep requires 3 correct reps to reset, and 4 to make progress.

But mastering hips, forward/backward movement, and transitions early gives you:

• Defensive confidence.

• Smarter positioning.

• A foundation that scales all the way to college and elite play.

Conclusion: Defense Is Built on Body Position

Defense isn’t about strength alone — it’s about control, positioning, and movement.

• Hips high give you balance.

• Forward movement pressures attackers.

• Backward movement keeps you goal-side.

• Switching vertical ↔ horizontal makes you versatile.

Master these fundamentals, and you become a defender who controls the game. The earlier you commit to proper body position, the faster your growth and the harder it will be for opponents to break you down.

👉 Want to see these defensive movements in action? Check out our full course with step by step instructions: Watch here.