Pike Position In Diving

The pike position in diving is one of the four diving positions, alongside tuck position, free position and straight position.

Pike is the only diving position which can be performed in two different styles. These are known as the open and closed pike.

The character used to donate a piked dive is B. So the dive number for a forward 2 ½ somersaults in pike position is 105B.

Basics of the Pike Position in Diving

The pike position in diving is recognisable by the diver’s body being bent at the waist and their chest laying flat against their thighs.

The diver’s legs should stay straight with their toes pointed throughout the pike. Meanwhile, their head should be positioned to look at over their toes.

The difference between an open and closed pike comes down to the use of the diver’s arms.

• In an open pike, the diver will maintain their low angle between their legs and back. The diver should stretch their arms out in a ‘T’ position.
• In a closed pike position, the diver will pull their legs towards their chest. The diver’s palms will be facing the direction in which they are spinning.

If performing a somersault, divers are more likely to use a closed pike position. This is because pulling your legs close helps maintain a tighter form.

Difficulty of the Pike Position In Diving

The pike position is more difficult and carries a higher tariff than the more common tuck position.

Click play in the video below to see Lois Toulson’s inward 2 ½ somersaults piked on the way to 10m Platform gold at the 2015 European Games in Baku.

A dive in pike position is slower than a tuck dive, meaning it is more obvious when aspects of form are not kept – such as bent legs, flat feet or an arched back.

If performing a somersault in a pike position, divers will want to use their arms to pull their legs as tight as possible to their chest.

The tighter the pike, the faster a somersault will be and the sooner a diver will be able to come out of the pike position and prepare to enter the water.