1.10. How much to Turn your Head when Inhaling?

How much should you turn your head when breathing in? Just slightly above the surface, or should you look all the way up toward the ceiling, a full 180°?
Let’s first look at what the ideal should look like.
The head turns just above the surface, one eye remains underwater, and the mouth is slightly squished to the side. That’s our goal – the closer to the surface, the better.
And then comes reality.
When we’re learning to swim, we need the breath to feel safe – we need to be sure that every breath will work, because we’re already swimming on the verge of suffocation.
Don’t let the joy of swimming be ruined by the constant threat of a wave from an oncoming swimmer, the chance that your body has somehow slipped out of the correct position and is too deep, or any other risk that makes learning unpleasant.
My recommendation is that in your early attempts, feel free to look straight up at the ceiling.
So what if your torso rotates too much? So what if your head turns more than it ideally should?
What matters far more is that you get that breath.
Practice breathing in and out in the water while kicking on your side with fins and a kickboard.
Focus on turning only your face – not your entire body.
Shoulders, hips, and ankles should stay rotated at 90°, never more.
You can never do too many drills with face rotation; when you’re just starting, it’s perfectly fine to spend half of the training just on this. Even competitive swimmers include drills for face rotation and breathing in every practice.
Once you start feeling more confident, try turning your head less and less, until you’re able to breathe comfortably with your face just above the surface.
But please don’t expect yourself to instantly breathe with one eye underwater and your mouth squished to the side. It’s not necessary – you likely wouldn’t even notice any speed difference.
What’s important is that you find a breathing technique that feels safe and relaxed – one that doesn’t flip you onto your back past 90°, and that gives you the right amount of air in and out without stress.