some swimmers have body proportions that slice through the water better than others
head shape and size, body dimensions
remember my Build a Better Boat SFF tip
HULL:
they way the swimmer is naturally shaped and how the swimmer positions her body when she swims, head position
Propeller:
Hand and feet proportions plus technique / efficiency
Motor:
Strength and power
Warning: This post contains physics.
When you are swimming at a constant speed (which you're not, but let's simplify), the drag force is going to be equal to the propulsion force.
The drag force is related to the square of the velocity. So the propulsion force is related to the square of velocity. Therefore, the velocity is related to the square root of the propulsion force.
Increase propulsion force while holding drag coefficient constant, and you get an increase in velocity according to square root function.
A square root function decreases in slope as the input variable increases. This means that as you use more force in the water to go faster, each little bit of force you add makes for a smaller increase in velocity.
Since we're talking about power and not force, I'll add that an increase in swimming power results in an increase in propulsion force as long as it's directed backward.
More power means more speed.
some swimmers have body proportions that slice through the water better than others
head shape and size, body dimensions
remember my Build a Better Boat SFF tip
HULL:
they way the swimmer is naturally shaped and how the swimmer positions her body when she swims, head position
Propeller:
Hand and feet proportions plus technique / efficiency
Motor:
Strength and power
Warning: This post contains physics.
When you are swimming at a constant speed (which you're not, but let's simplify), the drag force is going to be equal to the propulsion force.
The drag force is related to the square of the velocity. So the propulsion force is related to the square of velocity. Therefore, the velocity is related to the square root of the propulsion force.
Increase propulsion force while holding drag coefficient constant, and you get an increase in velocity according to square root function.
A square root function decreases in slope as the input variable increases. This means that as you use more force in the water to go faster, each little bit of force you add makes for a smaller increase in velocity.
Since we're talking about power and not force, I'll add that an increase in swimming power results in an increase in propulsion force as long as it's directed backward.
More power means more speed.
