You might be a master cowgirl. You’ve done it in doggy. You might have even piloted the helicopter. If you’re looking for a new challenge to put a twist on your sex life, may we introduce you to the corkscrew?
As you can tell by the name, this sex position involves a ’lil twisting and turning — but don’t panic: it’s not as hard as it sounds. In fact, you’ll get a lot of, er, bang for your buck.
“The name may sound acrobatic, but the corkscrew is actually a relatively low-energy position that is like a cross between missionary and spooning positions,” confirms Alice Child, a certified sexologist and sex educator.
There you have it: one for the lazy girlies who still like to experiment. Read on to find out how to master the corkscrew sex position, and why you need to add it to your sexual repertoire.
How to do the corkscrew position
The penetrating partner starts by kneeling above the receiving partner, who is laying on their back, and straddles one of their legs. The bottom partner can then wrap both their legs around the top partner’s waist, or keep the bottom leg stretched out. Whichever is more comfortable for you!
“Similar to missionary, one partner is lying down, and the penetrating partner is kneeling upright between their legs,” explains Child, “The main difference is that instead of the penetrating partner remaining in between the bottom partner’s open legs, both people’s legs become intertwined together; the person being penetrated is sort of hugging one of their partner’s leg between their thighs.”
“You can then thrust, grind, and circle your hips together, and both your hands are free to explore other erogenous zones such as the hips, nipples, and clitoris,” says Child.
Sex positions 101
Benefits of the corkscrew position
There are plenty of benefits to the corkscrew position, namely that it’s a great opportunity to switch up giving and receiving. The corkscrew is a great position for strap-on sex and if you want to try pegging for the first time. It’s also ideal for people with mobility issues because you can stay flat on your back or with your hips or back propped up by a pillow or sex wedge.
“It is great for lazy, intimate sex, and has many of the same benefits of missionary, for example, deep penetration, eye contact, a deep sense of intimacy, and easy access to the clitoris,” says Child.
She continues: “Because the angle of penetration is different from both missionary and spooning/doggy, the sensations will feel somewhat different. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different angles, depths, and movements to see what works best for your bodies.”
“For example, adjusting the angle of your hips, grinding, thrusting, or circling your pelvis, or changing the position of your legs. Placing pillows underneath you might also help for comfort and support.”
For an extra buzz, add a bullet vibrator or clit sucker toy into the mix for clitoral stimulation, or you can even experiment with adding a butt plug for double penetration.
Bullet vibrators
Sometimes, the most effective option is the easiest and adding a slight adjustment to your usual missionary position routine could be just what you need to spice things up.
Lois Shearing is Cosmoplitan's Former Senior Sex and Relationship Writer. They have been writing about sex, sexuality, gender, politics, and relationships for almost ten years. Their writing on these topics has appeared in Mashable, The Independent, Metro, The Advocate, and Byline Times, among others. In 2021, they published their first book, Bi the Way with JKP. They are currently working on two other books, set to be published in 2024. In a previous life, they worked as a content marketer and content writer for various tech start-ups. They continue to be interested in the tech sector and its impact on our lives, relationships, and work, with particular regard to the ways AI will shape our relationships in the future. Outside of work, they are deeply passionate about queer community organising, and run the only support resource for bisexual survivors of sexual violence in the UK: the Bi Survivors Network. You can find them on Instagram and X.
