How to Swim Faster Learn the Basic Technique of Fast Swimming

Swimming is a complex sport that targets every major muscle group in the body. It forces you to regulate your breathing, and combine high intensity, low impact training for those who like to get their heart-rate pumping without having to pound the pavement for hours on end.

To swim fast, you need to do two simple things: decrease drag in the water, and improve propulsion and both can be addressed through better technique.

How to Swim

Water is far more dense than air, and there is a finite amount of force you can apply against the water to increase your speed. The best way to get faster is to develop a stroke that makes you as efficient in the water as possible.

Cut the drag

The best way to cut drag during the front crawl or freestyle stroke is to spend more time on your side, as you reach forward for each stroke, which helps reduce your hydrodynamic profile. It's not easy or natural, but works on it by using this drill:

Lie flat in the water on your back.

Keeping your body in a straight line from head to toes.

Keep your arms at the sides of your body.

Press the back of your head and your shoulder blades in the water so that your hips and legs rise to the water surface.

Don't thrash about:

Topline swimmers say the kick produces only 10% of their forward propulsion – the rest us done by the upper body. Your kick should be compact, efficient and shouldn't break the waterline.

Swim taller:

Think torpedos and long cylindrical shapes, and you'll realise longer shapes are more efficient in the water than broad lumps. Extend your recovering arm forward as far as you can underwater before you start your stroke.

Engage your core:

Rolling more from side to side will help engage you back, hip and torso muscles. Core muscled play a huge role in this, and help you to channel more power in to your arms.

Lock your arms:

Before you power through the stroke, make sure you hand and forearm and aligned. Power comes early in the stroke, and is all but gone by the time your waist, so focus your energy early.