Freestyle Breathing Without Sinking Your Hips
Most swimmers think they sink because of weak legs, but the real culprit is often what happens the moment they turn their head to breathe. Here's a breakdown of the stroke, followed by three drills you can practice.
The importance of timing in freestyle
Breathing in freestyle happens as the body rotates and the pulling arm sweeps back through the water. As your hand enters the water, it catches, pressing against the water to create a stable hold before pulling back beneath your body.
Timing is everything. During that pull, you should be exhaling steadily through your nose, then rotating just enough to catch a quick breath through your mouth as your arm exits the water. Get the timing wrong — breathing too early or too late — and it throws off your whole stroke, causing you to rotate excessively from side to side.
Slow exhale
As you work through these drills, focus on exhaling slowly through your nose before you rotate to breathe. Your body has receptors that track carbon dioxide levels, not oxygen, so a slow, steady exhale keeps those levels in check and prevents the panicked, gasping breath that throws off your rhythm. The result is a breath that's calmer and far more efficient.
How often should I breathe?
The most efficient breathing pattern for freestyle is every three strokes, alternating sides as you go. Breathing on both sides — known as bilateral breathing — keeps your stroke balanced, since favouring one side too heavily can cause you to pull unevenly and drift off a straight line.
That said, the right frequency depends on the race. In shorter sprints like the 50m or 100m, minimizing your breaths reduces drag and helps you hold a faster tempo. For longer swims, breathing every three strokes is the more sustainable, efficient choice.
Technique should always come before speed. In practice, work on your breathing pattern during drills before applying it to full laps. For beginners, breathing every two strokes is a good starting point, since it builds comfort breathing on both sides before tackling the less frequent, more advanced patterns.
Drills to practice
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Putting it together
Good breathing technique isn't about holding your breath longer — it's about staying relaxed, exhaling steadily, and timing your rotation with the stroke instead of fighting it. Work through these drills slowly at first, and the rhythm will start to feel automatic rather than something you have to think about mid-lap.