How to Reduce Swimming Drag

In this article, we will provide advice, hacks and tips on how to reduce swimming drag.

Swimming drag is sometimes referred to as frontal drag.

Swimming drag: what is it?

Water is approximately 800 times denser than air.

Swimming drag* is the resistance caused by the swimmer’s head, body or limbs, as they move through the water.
* Hydrodynamic drag, to give it, it’s full and proper name.

Types of swimming drag

There are three types of swimming drag, friction drag, pressure (form) drag and surface (wave) drag.

All types of swimming drag can slow the swimmer down and they all increase with the increase in swimming speed.

Friction drag

Friction drag is caused by the water moving against and over the swimmer’s clothes and skin.

Pressure (form) drag

Pressure drag is commonly built up around the swimmer’s head and shoulders, as they move through the water.

Surface (wave) drag

Surface (wave) drag occurs as the swimmer creates waves as they cut through the water at speed.

Ways to reduce swimming drag

Body alignment

The rotations and undulations performed by the swimmer’s body to create propulsion during the stroke can create significant swimming drag.

Key to reducing this drag is for the swimmer not to over-rotate or over undulate.
They should ensure that they keep their body as aligned (straight) as possible.
While swimming freestyle should ensure that they do not rotate their body more than 40 degrees.
When swimming backstroke they should not rotate their body more than 30 degrees.
Swimmers should also ensure that their upper body, hips and lower body rotate together.
While swimming backstroke they should engage their core to ensure they do not arch their back.
This will help to ensure their hips and shoulders will not sink too much and create extra drag.
Having a developed core assists the swimmer to control their undulations, rotations and to help keep their body position aligned.

We have produced a related article on developing your swimming core. Which you can view by clicking this link: developing your swimming core

Head position

Keeping the head in alignment with the body can help the swimmer to significantly reduce surface drag.

There is less drag underwater than on the surface, as it eliminates surface drag.
As drag is increased as the swimmer’s speed increases, ideally the swimmer should submerge their head at the fastest part of the stroke.
Breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle have a fast point where the swimmers head should be underwater.
When swimming freestyle, the swimmer should ensure that they do not breathe with their head out of the water.
By lifting their head, the swimmer will naturally drop their hips into a position which significantly increases drag.
The ideal head position for a freestyle swimmer is to have their head continually in the water and as they breathe, rotate their head so they have one goggle lens in the water, and the other goggle lens out of the water, looking across the surface.
When swimming backstroke, the swimmer should ensure that their head is not too high out of the water, which will drop their hips and help to create extra drag.
Ideally, the level of the water should cover the swimmer’s ears.
When swimming butterfly, the swimmer should keep their chin as close to the surface as possible, to help ensure that their hips won’t drop and create extra drag.

Pull with a high elbow

The pulling action of all four competitive strokes causes drag.

Swimmers should ensure that they keep their elbow high and near to the surface during all strokes, except breaststroke.
This can help to maintain an aligned profile to help to reduce the drag caused by their upper arm during the pull.

Controlled kicking

Swimmers should focus on controlling their kicking action, to help reduce drag.

During backstroke, butterfly and freestyle, swimmers should ensure that they reduce any excessive knee bend whilst kicking.
Freestyle and backstroke swimmers should generate their kick from their buttocks.
With backstroke swimmers ideally positioning their feet just underneath the surface.
During breaststroke, they should focus on keeping their knees inline or inside the hips.

Pointing the toes

Having good swimming ankle strength and flexibility is a key attribute to having an effective leg kick.

As well as helping the swimmer to produce more effective propulsion.
It also enables the feet to be placed in a more streamlined (plantar flexion) position, thus reducing drag.
This can be especially important during the swimmer’s starts, turns and towards the end of a breaststroke kick.

We have produced a related article on swimming ankle strength and flexibility: an introduction. Which you can view by clicking this link: swimming ankle strength and flexibility: an introduction

Streamlining

Effective swimming streamlining reduces drag, maintains the swimmer’s speed and increases the distance during the starts, turns and transitions for all of the competitive events.

Swimming streamlining is also a key skill while performing underwater dolphin kicking.
During both breaststroke and butterfly, the swimmer should complete each stroke in a tight streamlined position.

We have produced a related article on an introduction to swimming streamlining. Which you can view by clicking this link: an introduction to swimming streamlining

Shaving

Many top competitive swimmers shave their body hair before an important competition, to reduce friction drag.

Please note this is not recommended for pre-puberty swimmers

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Wearing a swim cap

Most competitive swimmers wear a swim cap to help reduce the drag that can be caused by their hair.

Some swimmers will wear an additional cap which places their goggle straps between the caps.
Those swimmers who prefer wearing a second cap often ensure that the second (outer) cap is thicker than the first (inner) cap, to help smooth any potential bumps and thus help to reduce drag still further.

Wearing low profile goggles

Many competitive swimmers use low profile goggles to help reduce drag, especially during competition, as they tend to be smaller and more streamlined in design.

Many of our swimmers use and recommend the Speedo Fastskin Elite Mirror Goggles as their competition pool goggles, as they find them comfortable, with good visibility.

IQfit 3D goggle seal for a leak-free, secure fit and reduced marks around the eyes
IQfit goggle strap with patented tensioning scale for a unique and personal fit
Hydroscopic Lens profile for maximum peripheral vision with minimum head movement
Fit point markers for precise alignment of Fastskin goggle and cap by touch before a race

Race suit

Wearing a tight-fitting (but not restrictive) race suit can help to reduce friction drag.

Develop stroke technique

Swimmers should continually seek to improve their stroke technique and reduce the effects of drag.

Many swimmers monitor the effectiveness of their stroke by monitoring their stroke count

We have produced related articles, on both how to use stroke count and stroke rate and stroke count and stroke rate drills. Which you can view by clicking these links: how to use stroke count and stroke rate | stroke count and stroke rate drills.

Takeaways