You can’t treat the symptom without addressing the root cause. When it comes to fixing the problem of your freestyle legs sinking, the biggest mistake is using your legs to splash the water—this only makes matters worse.

•5 min read
You can’t treat the symptom without addressing the root cause. When it comes to fixing the problem of your freestyle legs sinking, the biggest mistake is using your legs to splash the water—this only makes matters worse.
In traditional freestyle swimming instruction, learners typically begin by mastering the freestyle kick—only progressing to the next step once they’ve perfected what’s known as the "whip kick." In fact, many would agree that if your kick isn’t solid, you’ll struggle to master freestyle altogether. While kicking is undeniably important, the real key to efficient freestyle propulsion lies not in the legs, but in the powerful upper-body arm strokes.
A person’s center of gravity is located slightly below the abdomen, and naturally, the legs are heavier than the arms. When floating on the water’s surface, it’s perfectly normal for the legs to sink—unless they don’t, which could only happen if someone suffers from severe osteoporosis. But then why do some freestyle swimmers manage to keep their legs from sinking? In fact, even experienced swimmers can glide forward with their legs almost completely streamlined against the water’s surface. So, what allows them to maintain this effortless, efficient position while swimming?

1. It's important to keep your body straight and your head stable.
In freestyle swimming, it’s crucial to keep your head, neck, back, hips, and buttocks aligned in a single plane as you move through the water. When viewed from directly ahead, maintaining a straight body minimizes your frontal surface area exposed to the water. By engaging your core muscles to stabilize your body, you can create a posture that acts like a "seesaw," pivoting around your center of gravity to maintain balance between your upper and lower body. A common mistake: failing to keep your upper and lower body perfectly aligned—and instead allowing them to angle slightly—can cause your legs to sink more quickly with each kick.
2. The center of gravity is constantly shifting.
During the freestyle stroke, one arm leads the forward extension, while the other arm moves through the sequence of catching the water, pushing it backward, lifting the elbow out of the water, recovering, and finally re-entering—completing a full cycle. Throughout this motion, the body's center of gravity shifts from forward to rear and then back again. As the center of gravity moves backward, the legs tend to sink; conversely, when the center of gravity shifts forward, the body "rocks" slightly, causing the upper body to rise while the legs float upward.

3. Relaxation is crucial during the arm recovery phase.
When the stroke is completed, the arm should immediately relax—avoid applying any force—and use the elbow to lift the forearm out of the water. The elbow should lead the hand as it moves overhead, positioning the palm facing forward before gently dipping it into the water at an angle. Common mistakes to avoid: After completing the stroke, failing to release tension in the arm, causing the hand and elbow to move forward together directly into the water instead of allowing a smooth transition. The more relaxed the arm remains during the recovery phase, the better it will prepare for the next stroke. Additionally, this relaxation enhances the natural pull of gravity on the arm, helping the body’s center of gravity shift forward. Thanks to this "seesaw" effect, the legs are more likely to rise naturally as the body pivots forward.
4. When rotating your body to the side around the spine's central axis, avoid overdoing it.
Freestyle swimming involves rotating the body to one side while stroking, with the shoulder and the leading edge of the body working together to cut through the water—significantly reducing drag in the process. However, overdoing this motion can lead to a common mistake: excessively tilting the body so that the shoulder becomes nearly perpendicular to the water’s surface. In this position, one side of the body ends up partially exposed above water, losing the buoyant support provided by the surrounding liquid. As a result, the weight of the submerged half of the body pulls downward, causing the torso to sink too deeply or even leading to a collapse of the lower back and a drop in the legs.

5. Over-inflating the chest significantly increases buoyancy in the upper body.
The upper and lower body act like the two ends of a seesaw, pivoting around the center of gravity. When you take a deep breath during breathing, your upper body’s buoyancy increases rapidly, causing your legs to sink slightly in response. That’s why it’s important not to over-inflate during breathing—just enough is key.
6. Swimming speed is too slow, resulting in poor stroke efficiency.
Total immersion swimming emphasizes efficiency, but that doesn’t mean speed is unimportant. It’s a common misconception to think that the more relaxed you are, the slower you’ll swim—quite the opposite is true. When your swimming speed drops too low, your legs will naturally sink as a result. As the saying goes, "Among all martial arts, only speed prevails." To put it even more dramatically: if your arm strokes are powerful enough, your legs won’t even need to kick—they’ll be effortlessly pulled along by the upper body, leaving no chance for them to sink at all.

When your legs start to sink during freestyle, first identify the real underlying cause and then refine your technique and body positioning. Addressing the root issue will effectively resolve the problem—rushing into simply kicking your legs will only disrupt your arm strokes and compromise your body alignment, ultimately backfiring on your performance.



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