Breaststroke Legs Are Too High

I am learning breaststroke legs but my breaststroke legs are too high at the water surface. My body seems to float at the top of the water. How can I correct this?

If your body floats very well in the water, which yours obviously does, then breaststroke needs to be performed with your body position at a slight angle. In other words, with your head above the surface and your legs deeper down.

In some cases breaststroke can be performed in an almost upright position. Although this position creates a large resistance and would appear to be counter-productive, it can sometimes be an effective way of learning how to control the body position, especially if your body naturally floats.

The most common mistake with breaststroke leg kick is to kick from the knees, bending the knees so that the feet come out of the water and are then not able to kick around and provide any propulsion.

As you lay in the water try to bend at your hips, drawing your knees underneath your body. That way your feet will remain under the water and then be able to perform the powerful whip action required to generate some movement.

For some very easy to follow swimming exercises to help perfect breaststroke leg kick, download our eBook 'The Complete Guide to Swimming Breaststroke'. It contains 20 separate exercises covering all aspects of breaststroke technique including the leg kick and body position. Download it instantly, print out the exercises you need and take them to your pool to try them out. Click the link below for more information.

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