Fix sinking legs in freestyle

Sinking legs are the single most common thing slowing recreational swimmers down. Drag your legs through the water and you are towing an anchor the whole length of the pool. The fix is almost never more kicking. It is body position. Here is what is really going on.

Why legs sink

Your lungs are full of air and sit high; your legs are dense and sit low. Lift your head to look forward and you tip the whole see-saw, driving your legs down. The harder you then kick to compensate, the more you tire without solving anything.

Press your chest, drop your head

Think of leaning gently on the water with your chest, almost “swimming downhill”. As your chest presses down, your hips and legs naturally rise.

• Look straight down at the bottom of the pool, not forward.
• Keep the back of your neck long and relaxed.
• Exhale fully underwater; holding your breath makes your chest float and your legs sink further.

Engage a light core

A gentle core brace connects your upper and lower body so they move as one line. Without it, your hips hinge and your legs trail. You are not crunching, just holding a long, firm posture.

Try a few lengths with a pull buoy to feel what high hips should feel like, then recreate that position without it.