Week 10 Streamlining and Body position how to reduce drag and resistance!

This is Week 10 of our front crawl technique correction series: Streamlining

We all know that water is 1000 times denser than air, and that if your legs and hips are too low, then you are swimming more like a barge in the water, displacing a lot more water for the net gain moving forwards. We all want to become like the V shape of a speedboat rotating on a long axis planing much higher up in the water in a streamlined position like we see elite swimmers and triathletes swim!

What should you be focusing on swim training wise now to improve your swim efficiency?

• Reducing drag and resistance

• Increasing streamlining

• More propulsion

• Positive palm pitch

• Reducing your stroke count

How?

There is a distinct relationship between lower strokes and faster speed, giving you greater distance per stroke.

By working on all the elements of your technique this month and next, you'll be cementing in better movement patterns and stroke mechanics to improve your swim efficiency.

You want to be doing lots of techniques this month, stroke counting sets at an aerobic level, Swolf this week and in 4 weeks time.

This will all help you to reduce drag and resistance and produce more power, and ultimately reduce your average stroke counts over longer distances.

4 ways to reduce drag and resistance for improver level swimmers

As an improver level swimmer you can swim between 50 -100 metres front crawl in one go, after which your form breaks down causing you to slow down and stop

This can be for a few reasons, including increased drag and resistance, rolling to breathe from your shoulder, legs too low, breathing too late with your head high, arms and breathing timing out of synch

1. Point your head down to the bottom of the pool, keeping the water line on the top of your goggles 2. Rotate from your hips on a long axis 3. Press your sternum into the water to aid streamlining 4. Kick from your hips with straight legs about 30 cm in depth

If you want to do the same and find out exactly what you need to be working on get in touch for a swim video analysis: