How do I fix a walk cycle to feel heavy and grounded in 2D animation?

[Abigail.R]

I’ve been trying to get my 2D character’s walk cycle to feel more grounded and heavy, but no matter how I adjust the timing chart, the footsteps still feel floaty. I’m wondering if the issue is in my spacing for the contact and passing positions, or if I need to add more squash and stretch to the torso.

[Zoey14]

I've been in the same boat. I tightened up the spacing between contact and passing so the foot lands sooner in the cycle, but it still feels floaty. For me the fix ended up needing a heavier knee bend and a slightly longer heel glide at landing, not just chasing heavier torso squash.

[John_T]

Maybe the issue isn't the spacing at all. I tried cranking the torso squash and stretch and it still read light on the ground. I started looking at weight shift: hips leading, pelvis tilting, and the feet articulating a bit more on contact.

[Andrew_P]

Do you think the real problem is weight transfer timing rather than the spacing or torso shapes?

[Addison_A]

I slowed the cycle down and reduced the hold on the contact frame to feel the leg absorb more. The floaty feel dropped a notch, but the cadence got a bit awkward.

[Frank.J]

One odd detail I chased for a while: if the character's torso squash is overdone, the rest of the body can feel glued to the ground even when the feet land fine. I stopped worrying about squash as a fix and tried keeping the torso mass consistent across the cycle.