I can’t stand when people call missionary sex positions boring. On top of facilitating intimacy between partners, they leave your hands free to explore erogenous zones and can be easily modified to intensify pleasure and heighten the overall experience. The captain sex position, one of my favorite missionary positions, is a prime example of this. It’s just as passionate as it is pleasurable, especially for women, since the giving partner can easily steer the receiver toward an internal orgasm. If you haven’t tried the captain sex position yet, trust me when I say that once you do, it’ll become one of your go-tos.
If your curiosity is rightfully piqued, we’re getting into all you need to know about the captain sex position, including what it is, how to do it, and its benefits. Plus, we’re sharing three variations of the captain sex position to try.
What is the captain sex position?
The captain is a missionary sex position where the receiver lies flat on their back with their legs raised in a wide V-shape, while the giver kneels between the receiver’s legs and holds onto their ankles. It grants the giving partner total control over the depth and rhythm of penetration, which is where the position earns its namesake. More importantly, it allows for intimate eye contact, deeper penetration, and provides better, more direct access to the receiver’s G-spot and A-spot. It’s a spicier, more intimate version of the standard missionary position that increases and maximizes pleasure for both partners.
How to try the captain sex position
To try this position, the receiving partner lies flat on their back. Then, they raise their legs in the air and spread them as wide as their flexibility allows, creating a V-shape. Once they’re in position, the giver kneels between their thighs and holds onto their ankles for stability and control before penetrating. While the captain can work with hard and fast thrusts, the position works best when the giver remains upright and enters their partner slowly and intentionally. This makes the sex hotter and more intimate, namely because it lets you maintain eye contact and witness each other’s pleasure.
Just like in any position, communication is key in the captain sex position. Vocal and physical cues let your partner know what’s working and what should be modified. This can be conveyed through moaning, verbal instructions, rocking your hips with theirs, and micro positioning adjustments, like arching your back slightly or marginally bringing your legs closer together or farther apart.
Fair warning: The captain’s deep penetration makes your partner more liable to accidentally bump your cervix. This isn’t inherently harmful, but it can make sex uncomfortable or painful, in some cases. Luckily, adequate arousal can prevent this from happening since the upper two-thirds of the vagina naturally stretches when you’re turned on. Needless to say, giving yourself time to warm up with sexual initiation and foreplay before trying out the captain is crucial. And of course, use plenty of lube.
Benefits of the captain sex position
The beauty of the captain sex position is its simplicity. It doesn’t require crazy flexibility or contortion; instead, it creates deeper penetration and more G-spot and A-spot stimulation by slightly altering the traditional missionary position. Obviously, this feels incredible. Better yet, it increases your chances of having an internal orgasm, and this probability can be heightened by simultaneously stimulating other erogenous zones like the nipples or clitoris during sex.
Furthermore, the captain sex position lets you lightly dip your toes into the world of power play. Because the giver is in charge, the receiver has to fully surrender and relinquish control to them. Entrusting your body to someone else only intensifies the passion between the two of you and subsequently heightens your shared connection. This, coupled with the fact that the captain lets you maintain eye contact during sex, creates an immersive sexual experience filled with next-level physical and emotional sensations.
3 captain sex position variations to try
Obviously, sex isn’t one-size-fits-all. Not every position will do it for everyone, and that’s OK! The key is to play around and make tweaks to positions to find what works best for you. Whether you’ve mastered the OG captain sex position or need to make some adjustments, here are variations of the captain sex position you can try:
1. The softened captain
If the traditional captain position is painful for you, try the softened captain instead. Set up exactly as you would for the original, and when it’s time to penetrate, the giver will lean forward slightly so their chest is parallel with their partner’s knees and their hands are resting on either side of their torso. This will decrease the depth of penetration without compromising on pleasure and sensations. If keeping your legs out to the side feels uncomfortable, try wrapping them around your partner’s back instead.
2. The assisted captain
The assisted captain is ideal if you want deep penetration but find the positioning of the standard captain awkward or uncomfortable. In this version, you place a pillow under your hips and legs on either side of your partner’s head so your calves are resting on their shoulders. Then, your partner can hold onto your thighs as they penetrate. These tweaks not only create additional support under your hips but also reduce the strain and output from your partner since they don’t have to worry about holding your legs up. Likewise, these modifications also compensate for a significant height difference and limited flexibility, and can be used together or separately for assistance.
3. The elevated captain
If you’re caught up in the moment and need to have each other ASAP, the elevated captain is the perfect position. The receiver lies on their back on top of a flat surface, like a desk or countertop, and splays their legs into a wide V-shape while their partner remains standing. From here, the giver holds onto their partner’s ankles and penetrates. This places your bodies more in line with one another, which might make the penetration feel less overwhelming and intense.
Arianna Reardon, Contributing Writer
Arianna is a freelance writer and journalist, and the self-proclaimed hot and dirty martini queen. At The Everygirl, Arianna uses her authenticity and relatability to empower, inspire, and motivate women everywhere. Whether she’s writing about sex and relationships, career and finance, beauty and fashion, wellness, or home and living, Arianna’s passion shines through in all her work.
