If you want one rule that upgrades a youth defender immediately, it’s this:

Hips up. Always.

Not “sometimes.” Not “when you feel good.”
Always.

Because the moment your hips drop, everything gets worse:

• you slow down

• your legs stop working

• you lose balance

• you become easy to drive on

• you start grabbing instead of moving

That’s why coaches say defense is “legs.” But the truth is more specific:

Defense is hips up + explosive legs.

This blog will teach you:

1. what “hips up” really means

2. why it matters for youth players (10–15)

3. the exact drill plan to train it in practice

And yes—this is water polo training you can run every week.

What “hips up” actually means

“Hips up” means your body stays strong and high in the water so you can move instantly in any direction.

A good defender looks like this:

• chest tall

• hips floating high (not sitting)

• legs under the body, ready to explode

• arms controlled (not flailing)

A weak defender looks like this:

• hips low

• shoulders forward

• legs behind the body

• lots of grabbing because they can’t move

The goal: stay in a position where you can burst, recover, and burst again.

Why hips up is the #1 rule in defense

When your hips are up:

• your breaststroke kick becomes explosive

• your overhips/side movement stays fast

• you can “hit the elbow line” (pressure without fouling)

• you can defend the drive without panicking

• you don’t get tired as quickly

When your hips are down:

• you’re late to everything

• attackers get comfortable

• you rely on holding/grabbing

• you commit dumb fouls

• you get beat on every second move

For youth water polo, this is massive. Most kids lose defensive battles not because they’re “weak”… but because they’re low in the water.

The simplest drill plan to build hips up defense

This is a 3-lap circuit with 3 different defensive skills.
Do 3 laps, repeat x4 rounds.

That’s 12 total laps and it teaches:

1. burst + recovery

2. elbow-line pressure + pressure passing

3. reverse eggbeater to defend drives

Format

• 3 × 25m laps (3 different drills)

• Repeat for 4 rounds

• Rest: 20–30 seconds between laps, ~60 seconds between rounds

This is one of the best “bang for your buck” water polo drills for defense.

Lap 1 — Vertical ↔ Horizontal Explosions + “Elbow Hit” (25m)

Goal: Train the defender’s burst: pop up → explode → recover → repeat.

First half (to 12.5m)

Repeat continuously:

• start vertical eggbeater

• strong breaststroke kick forward

• recover back into horizontal

• repeat until the half

This teaches your body to switch between vertical and horizontal without sinking.

Second half (12.5m to 25m)

Now add the contact simulation:

• from horizontal, eggbeater and hit a strong breaststroke kick

• as you kick, pretend you’re hitting the attacker’s elbow line with your arm

• reset immediately back to vertical eggbeater

• repeat to the wall

Why “elbow line”?
In real defense, the goal is to disrupt the attacker’s arm path without grabbing. If your hips are up, you can pressure with movement and timing.

Coaching cue: If they sink after the kick, the hips aren’t up. Reset and slow down until it’s clean.

Lap 2 — Partner Drill: Defender Elbow-Line Pressure + Pressure Passing

Setup: pair athletes. One attacker has the ball and practices pressure passing. One defender applies realistic pressure.

Defender job

• stay hips up

• from horizontal eggbeater, breaststroke kick to close

• simulate pressure by attacking the elbow line (controlled)

• reset and repeat

Attacker job

• stay tall on eggbeater

• protect the ball under pressure

• complete the pass without falling apart

This lap trains both sides of the game at once:

• defenders learn to pressure with legs and positioning

• attackers learn to pass under real stress

Game rule: defense is not just “hands.” Defense is legs + timing.

Lap 3 — Reverse Eggbeater (Backwards) to Defend the Drive

This is one of the most important defensive movement skills for modern water polo.

Goal: move backwards while staying tall, so you can defend drives and stay in the passing lane.

How to do it

• chest tall, hips up

• move backwards using reverse eggbeater

• focus on balance and steady speed (no sinking)

Important: reverse eggbeater takes time. That’s normal. But once athletes learn it, defending drives becomes way easier.

The most common mistakes (and how to fix them)

Mistake 1: Sitting in the water

Fix: “hips up” cue + shorter bursts until posture holds.

Mistake 2: Legs too narrow

Fix: knees slightly wider than shoulders, feet turned out.

Mistake 3: Too much arm chaos

Fix: arms are for balance and timing. Legs do the work.

Mistake 4: Slow reset

Fix: after every kick or contact, recover instantly back to eggbeater.

For coaches (how to run this every week)

Run the circuit once per week as a defensive station. It gives you:

• a repeatable system

• a measurable skill (hips up posture)

• game-real movement patterns

And the best part: athletes improve without you yelling “MOVE!” all practice, because the drills force correct movement.

Final reminder

Tell your athletes this every practice:

“Hips up in defense. Always.”

Because that single habit affects everything:
speed, positioning, endurance, confidence, and discipline.