Water position tips: When your legs just don't want to stay up

Which freestyle beginner doesn't know this: Despite all your efforts, your legs just don't want to lie flat in the water and you become a lead duck. However, a flat water position is absolutely necessary in order to minimize water resistance. You can find out how it works better with our three tips.

One cause of this problem is that the body's center of gravity is not shifted far enough forward. The following exercises can help:

1. Learn to balance your own center of gravity

In addition, the following essential basic exercise in a side position: The lower arm is stretched forward in the water, the other is relaxed on the hip. Now lie on your side and walk 25 meters with only a slight kick. The head is completely under water, looking towards the edge of the pool and is only turned briefly towards the upper shoulder to breathe. Propulsion comes only through the legs, the arms do not move.

The aim of the exercise is to keep your legs permanently on the water surface and to bring your body's center of gravity back into balance (if necessary) after each breath.

2. Deliberately keep your head low in the water

While breathing, turn your head to the side and not backwards. It is helpful to consciously move your chin towards your shoulder. In the beginning you can swallow water if you swim into a wave or if the breathing timing is not right, but as is well known, practice makes perfect.

As a consolation: The faster you swim, the easier it is to get air, even if you keep your head low. This is because when you swim faster, you lie flatter, ie higher in the water.

On the other hand, if you throw your head back, you usually hollow your back at the same time. As a result, the body's center of gravity moves mercilessly backwards and the legs sag. So the head has a key function for the shallow water position

3. Make it as long as possible in the water (stretch crawl):

After dipping your arm, reach forward as far as you can. If you rotate your body around the longitudinal axis a bit, you gain a few centimeters. Imagine lying on a seesaw and trying to get the weight forward so you tip over to the other side. This will move your center of gravity forward.

Also: The more you lie in the water with your body stretched out, the less the tendency for your legs to sink, because the longer lever means more water has to be displaced. If your legs are already crooked, you can get them back into the flat position more easily if you rotate your body more around the longitudinal axis when stretching forward.