The importance of a good streamline

As a swimmer you spend a lot of time in a streamline position. So why do we do this? Well, it is all about drag.

Drag is one of the forces you fight against when riding a bike or running and it's not different in swimming. Drag is a force that acts upon your body slowing you down and gets stronger the thicker the fluid you are moving through.

Drag is a force that acts upon your body slowing you down and gets stronger the thicker the fluid you are moving through.

Think about how much harder it is to walk through water than it is to walk through air, this is due to water having more drag acting on you in comparison to air.

So when swimming its super important to minimise your drag so you can swim easier, faster and for longer. This is where the streamline position comes in.

By reducing the amount of your body perpendicular (90 degrees) to the direction you are moving through the water you can reduce this drag.

Next time you are in the pool try pushing off the wall with your arms out wide and then in a streamline position and you’ll notice just how much further you can get with the same amount of effort.  

The streamline position is an essential skill to efficient swimming which is why it's important to master as early as possible.

Our Learn To Swim program focuses on a variety of skills but you will always see, from the lowest levels up, the streamline position being practiced.

So when do we use the streamline position later on? It’s used as a key part in breaststroke in the “glide” step, off the dive in competitive races and off every wall after a tumble turn. So make sure you practice your streamline frequently and you'll start to reap the rewards in the pool!