Streamlines are VERY important to swimming, as EVERY single swimmer needs to be proficient at it. This is because streamlines are universal and are required in ALL races–no matter the distances the swimmers swim, strokes they perform, their age, or ability level. A streamline is one of swimming’s fundamental movement patterns that needs to be EXECUTED to perfection. After all, we are ALL taught how to streamline within our first few weeks of swimming—so there is really NO exercise to NOT mastering your streamlines.

Did you know that a streamline is the MOST hydrodynamic position a human can be in?
It’s true! A streamline is the closest position a swimmer can achieve that’s similar to a fish, dolphin, or whale. This position has the LEAST amount of drag associated with it, and also clocks in some of the swimmer’s HIGHEST speeds.

The two highest speeds in a swimming race are off the start and the turn(s). Immediately after a swimmer creates these two peak speeds, we (swim coaches) tell them to go into a streamline to carry that high speed for as LONG as possible.

Keep in mind: You will NEVER be able to recreate the peak speed achieved off of a start or a wall—at the surface of the water! That is why we use a streamline to keep the speed up for as long as we can.

Did you know there is TWO ways to ultimately perform a streamline?…

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