Breathing is one of the most difficult skills for beginner swimmers to master. While many swimmers focus on turning their head correctly, they often overlook another important part of the stroke: the leading arm.
A Common Mistake I See Every Day
I see this mistake almost every day at my pool. Many beginners become so focused on getting a breath that they start pulling with their leading arm too early. They often don’t realize they’re doing it, but this single mistake can negatively affect balance, body position, and stroke efficiency.
What Is the Leading Arm?
The leading arm is the arm that remains extended in front of your body while the opposite arm completes its pull and recovery. Its job is to support your body and keep you balanced until the recovering hand is ready to enter the water.
How Dropping the Leading Arm Affects Your Body
When the leading arm drops too early, the body immediately loses that support. The head and shoulders begin to sink, the hips drop, and drag increases. Instead of gliding forward, the stroke becomes rushed and inefficient.
Dropping the leading arm also shortens your stroke. Rather than reaching forward and traveling farther with each stroke, you begin taking shorter, quicker strokes that waste energy without increasing speed.
Another problem is timing. In an efficient freestyle stroke, your leading arm should stay extended until the recovering hand is about to enter the water. This creates a smooth transition from one stroke to the next. If the leading arm starts pulling too soon, the rhythm breaks down, making the stroke feel uncoordinated.
One reason beginners drop the leading arm is a lack of confidence while breathing. They often feel that pulling the arm down will help lift their head out of the water. In reality, this only makes body position worse. Instead of using the arm for support, rotate your body to the side while keeping the leading arm long and stable.
Learn from Elite Swimmers
If you watch elite swimmers like Katie Ledecky or David Popovici, you’ll notice that the leading arm remains extended as they breathe. They rely on body rotation—not the leading arm—to reach the air. This helps them stay streamlined, balanced, and efficient throughout the stroke.
How to Fix This Mistake
To correct this mistake, think about reaching forward rather than pulling early. Keep the leading arm relaxed and extended while you rotate to breathe. Begin your pull only when the recovering hand is about to enter the water. This simple change can improve your balance, make breathing easier, and help you swim farther with less effort.
Dropping the Leading Arm vs. Keeping It Stable
| Dropping the Leading Arm | Keeping the Leading Arm Stable |
| Loses body balance | Maintains body balance |
| Causes the hips and legs to sink | Helps keep the body streamlined |
| Creates more drag | Reduces drag |
| Shortens the stroke | Increases distance per stroke |
| Breaks stroke rhythm | Maintains smooth timing |
| Wastes energy | Improves efficiency |
| Makes breathing feel harder | Makes breathing easier and more controlled |
Remember: Your leading arm is not there to help lift your head. Its job is to support your body and maintain balance. Keep it extended, rotate your body to breathe, and let your stroke stay long, balanced, and efficient.
Sanuj Srivastava’s articles are really helpful for lap swimmers who aren’t part of a structured program. I hope he keeps publishing more
Thank you! Comments like yours motivate me to keep writing and sharing swimming knowledge with the community. More articles coming soon 🏊🏻💙