Beginning to swim: Drag and Balance

Reading the 4th chapter of the swimming book mentioned earlier.

Role of Drag

This chapter is mainly about drills for improving the swimming technique. Unlike running and cycling, swimming is not just an endurance and intensity exercise, its a technique sport. So a lot matters on the sport. Professional swimmers are upto 9% efficient, i.e. 9% of the energy they apply actually gets translated into forward motion. Rest of it goes into fighting drag and resistance. For others, it can be as low as 2%. There fore working on the right technique is extremely important.

The main goal is to minimize the effect of drag. There are three kinds of drag: Form drag, wave drag and friction drag. Form drag is the big one.

Swimming is more like gliding through the water than splashing and dragging oneself along.

On Balance

The body gotta stay as horizontal as possible. For this two things to keep in mind: Keeping the top of head aligned with spine is the key to not push the hips down. Other is to push the “lungs buoy” down, that automatically pushes the hips and back upward. Sort of like the swim board – you push it one side, the other side rises up automatically.

The COG is near the belly button, so tummy and legs tend to sink down. Pushing the “lung buoy” down raises them back up. Do not rely solely on kicking for balance –> that really soaks up the energy.

Balance drills: Static and dynamic drills.

Static drills: On tummy balance, back balance and sideways balance