A Learning Channel special on Lance Armstrong showed how he spent hours perfecting his aerodynamic position on the bike. Computers would analyze the drag caused by Lance's different positions on the bike and the bike itself(i.e.his body caused 2/3 of the total drag). All of this testing to save maybe 1 or 2 percent drag. Of course, in the Tour De France the few seconds time differential could be the difference between a win or loss.
So how could you test your own hydrodynamic position in the water and would it be worthwhile? I imagine one could push off the pool wall and try different positions of head,arms,torso,legs, and feet and find the ONE position that allows you to go the farthest. Persumably, that would be your most hydrodynamic or slippery.
Or, I suppose if you had an Endless Pool, you could tether a swimmer to some kind of force gauge that would measure the energy required to keep the swimmer stationary at a certain flow level. Then try different positions of head, arms, torso, legs, and feet to find which position requires the least amount of force to stay stationary.
Intuitively, one would think that a head down, straight torso, hips, legs, and pointed toes would be most hydrodynamic but not necessarily so.
How does that hydrodynamic position change when a swimmer breathes. Again, is one position more slippery than another and is it different for everyone? How would you test it?
I don't have answers--only questions. Any one aware of studies or empirical data?
Former Member
Forget Hydrodynamics and learn to swim. Most of the swimmers here will never be able to put it to good use. Swim streamline apply force when you get to the catch and finish your strokes you will be fine (nothing is effortless). Use a good 2, 4 or six beat kick. Take advantage of the push off on your turns.
One of the major factors that differentiates OW from pool swimming is that absence of walls. It's ALL swimming without the few seconds of recovery every 25 yds or meters. That makes economy and relaxation a huge difference-maker.
Terry,
Just out of curiosity, are you able to quantify the difference. I've done 3 lake swims (2-1 mi. and a 2.7 mi.) and I've noticed a difference of about 5 min. or more / mile but I'm not sure if it's because of the time gained on turns or if it is just my inexperience in OW swimming or both. And should there be that much of a difference?
) Follow your shoulder back with your chin.
4) "Get taller" as you rotate into your breath. "Stay tall" as you return back to neutral -- but without introducing a hitch into your rhythm.
It was great to see these principles encouraged by much more experienced swimmers than myself. I had very little in the way of formal coaching in my technique and came to this basic technique more intuitively than by way of instruction.
One thing I might add about hydrodynamic. It's part of my coaching philosophy.
The one big difference between aerodynamics (in cycling for instance) and hydrodynamics, is that it's much easier to get a natural spontaneous feed back helpful to auto-analyse our hydrodynamic efficiency while swimming.
I can't really coach a cyclist to *feel* the drag resistance imposed by the wind on the upper body, or the bike or anything.
But I can coach a swimmer to develop this *feel* for hydrodynamic efficiency. Some have already pointed out the stroke length as a good indicator of this efficiency.
I'm absolutely convinced that good swimmers, in fact most swimmers (intermediate to advance) can also juge the amplitude of their own "acceleration/deceleration/acceleration/deceleration" pattern while swimming. It's also possible to develop this *feeling* of accute drag resistance experienced by most parts of our body. For instance, a good breaststroker can feel more or less resistance during the leg recovery, and will naturally favor a position involving less resistance.
One simple drill to learn to listen to these feelings? Swimming with a pair of pants and long sleeves sweather for a while, and then removing the cloths.... well you may want to keep a bathing suit on :joker:
I was surprised no-one mentioned the overhead draglines they used to use at the Colorado Springs training facility. By dragging the swimmer through the water at speeds approaching Olympic pace, the swimmer very quickly understood where they were not streamlined. (similar to putting your hand out the window of a car at 60mph)
Does anyone know if this is still being used in training Olympic hopefuls?
Tomtopo. Tom Read your article hydrodynamic. I thought it was real comical. But informative. I only swim freestyle. I like distances swims ,since I am a very slow swimmer. I once did a swim in Flaggstaff AZ. It was in a 25 YD. pool. The longest race was 100 yds. So I told my wife man what short races these are. Not realizing we were up 7000 ft. But while doing the one 100 Yds. On the thrid lap I was sucking wind and barlleymade the finish. Merry Xmas DOM.:woot: :groovy:
Forget Hydrodynamics and learn to swim. Most of the swimmers here will never be able to put it to good use. Swim streamline apply force when you get to the catch and finish your strokes you will be fine (nothing is effortless). Use a good 2, 4 or six beat kick. Take advantage of the push off on your turns.
Very good advice Geochuck.
Being in the science and engineering field, I have some experience with the subject of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and it is an extremely expensive process that it is economically limited to high end industrial products. Even for hydrodynamic modeling of a simple industrial water pump, the cost of running a CFD program can run $100,000 per second!
Trying to use CFD to analyze swimming techniques is rather superfluous as human behavior cannot be managed by engineering methodology and the cost can’t be justified using an industrial productivity analysis either. Accordingly, I have commented on this questionable research about using CFD with regard to the so called “high tech” suits.
forums.usms.org/showthread.php
In addition to their obscure purpose, the idea of swimming with your body covered with water proof material is antithetical to aquatic sports and ruins the sensation of being in the water. :mad:
I’ve often thought of “sports technology” as a more a way of glorifying athletics and provide it with some illusory importance in the science/engineering world. Frankly, I wish we could let swimming (and other athletics as well) just be for fun and we could get rid of this hyper competitive techy attitude.
Happy Holidays & Happy Swimming
Dolphin 2
