This is an old topic. Most swimmers I know appear to believe that shaving definitely produces a speed gain. I've always been skeptical. I figure that the "psych" factor of a big meet combined with a taper more than swamps any possible gain from tapering.
Well I just bumped into this video:
www.youtube.com/watch
It seems that for cycling at least, the speed gain from shaving is very considerable. Given that water is much more viscous than air, it would seem reasonable to conclude that the effect is even greater for swimmers.
The following is an interesting email from Jon Henricks, 1956 Olympic champion, on the history of shaving down.
Subject: Shave down
The Aussie 56 team was not forced to shave down. We all did it because it worked.
My dad Clyde Henricks came up with the idea after watching our neighbor Don Melrose polishing the hull of his boat before each race. It reduced the coefficient of friction between hull and water
Dad thought that might apply to a swimmer too so he helped me shave down my hull for the Australian championships in February of 1953. It worked beautifully and helped me break the Olympic 100m time set in the 52 Olympics.
Our little squad coached by Harry Gallagher all started shaving down before major meets and since Dawn Fraser was part of our squad and Prof Cotton and Forbes Carlyle were close associates the secret got out.
By 56 all of the Aussies were shaving down.
George Breen told me he had heard of it but thought it was just a placebo effect and dismissed it as malarkey
The almost total domination of the 56 Aussie team got the swimming worlds attention.
Because of it I became the first Australia male swimmer to win the Olympic 100 m Free.
Thanks Dad.
Sent from my iPhone
.
__,_._,___
One of my favorite swimming quotes is from Henricks father when asked about why he thought of shaving for his son: "are you kidding,he's hairy as a goat."
The following is an interesting email from Jon Henricks, 1956 Olympic champion, on the history of shaving down.
Subject: Shave down
The Aussie 56 team was not forced to shave down. We all did it because it worked.
My dad Clyde Henricks came up with the idea after watching our neighbor Don Melrose polishing the hull of his boat before each race. It reduced the coefficient of friction between hull and water
Dad thought that might apply to a swimmer too so he helped me shave down my hull for the Australian championships in February of 1953. It worked beautifully and helped me break the Olympic 100m time set in the 52 Olympics.
Our little squad coached by Harry Gallagher all started shaving down before major meets and since Dawn Fraser was part of our squad and Prof Cotton and Forbes Carlyle were close associates the secret got out.
By 56 all of the Aussies were shaving down.
George Breen told me he had heard of it but thought it was just a placebo effect and dismissed it as malarkey
The almost total domination of the 56 Aussie team got the swimming worlds attention.
Because of it I became the first Australia male swimmer to win the Olympic 100 m Free.
Thanks Dad.
Sent from my iPhone
.
__,_._,___
One of my favorite swimming quotes is from Henricks father when asked about why he thought of shaving for his son: "are you kidding,he's hairy as a goat."
