Reducing Water Resistance in Swimming: Why It Is Important and How to Improve
Discover how reducing water resistance helps swimmers improve speed, conserve energy, develop better swimming techniques and swim more efficiently.
Swimming is different from many other physical activities because swimmers must move their bodies through water.
Water creates resistance against movement, making body position, technique and coordination important factors in swimming performance.
Whether someone is learning freestyle for the first time or training for a competitive swimming event, understanding how to reduce water resistance can help improve swimming efficiency.
At Friendly Dolphin Swim School, we believe that learning correct swimming techniques is just as important as developing strength and endurance.
In this article, we explain what water resistance is, why it matters and how swimmers can reduce unnecessary drag.
1. What Is Water Resistance in Swimming?
Water resistance is the force that opposes a swimmer’s movement through water.
This opposing force is commonly called drag.
As a swimmer moves forward, water interacts with the swimmer’s body and creates resistance.
The amount of resistance depends on several factors, including:
- Swimming speed
- Body position
- Body shape and alignment
- Surface characteristics
- Swimming movements
- Water flow around the body
The greater the drag, the more propulsive effort a swimmer generally needs to maintain the same speed.
This is why good swimming technique involves not only generating forward propulsion but also reducing unnecessary resistance.
2. Why Is Reducing Water Resistance Important?
Reducing drag can provide several important benefits.
Improves Swimming Speed
When swimmers experience less resistance, they may move through the water faster for the same propulsive effort.
Conserves Energy
Reducing unnecessary drag can lower the effort needed to maintain a particular swimming speed.
Improves Swimming Efficiency
Efficient swimming involves producing useful propulsion while minimising unnecessary resistance.
Supports Swimming Endurance
Swimmers who use their energy efficiently may be able to maintain suitable technique over longer distances.
Improves Competitive Performance
In competitive swimming, small improvements in body position, streamlining and stroke technique can contribute to better race performance.
Swimming faster is not only about producing more power. It is also about reducing the resistance that slows the swimmer down.
3. Understanding the Three Main Types of Drag in Swimming
Swimming resistance is commonly discussed in terms of three types of drag.
| Type of drag | Explanation | Swimming example |
| Form drag | Resistance caused by the swimmer’s shape and frontal area | Swimming with the head raised and hips low |
| Friction drag | Resistance caused by moving along the swimmer’s body surface | Friction between water and skin or swimwear |
| Wave drag | Resistance associated with generating waves near the water surface | Energy lost through wave formation during swimming |
Each type of drag can influence swimming performance.
Although swimmers cannot eliminate water resistance completely, they can improve their technique to reduce unnecessary drag.
4. Streamlining Is One of the Most Important Ways to Reduce Drag
Streamlining means positioning the body to move through water with minimal unnecessary resistance.
A streamlined position generally involves:
- Arms extended overhead
- Hands positioned together
- Head aligned between the arms
- Body maintained in an elongated position
- Legs kept together where appropriate
- Toes pointed
This position is commonly used after starts and turns.
Streamlining helps swimmers preserve momentum during underwater gliding.
However, streamlining should not involve prolonged breath-holding or unsafe underwater distance challenges.
5. Maintain a Horizontal Body Position
Body alignment plays an important role in swimming efficiency.
When swimmers maintain a relatively horizontal body position, they generally present less frontal area to the water.
For example, a beginner swimming freestyle may lift the head excessively to breathe.
This can cause the hips and legs to sink, increasing resistance.
Improving head position, balance and breathing technique can help maintain better body alignment.
A more efficient body position allows swimmers to move forward with less unnecessary drag.
6. Improve Head Position During Swimming
Head position affects the alignment of the entire body.
In freestyle swimming, constantly looking forward can encourage the hips and legs to drop.
Instead, swimmers generally benefit from maintaining a neutral head position, with the gaze directed downwards and slightly forward according to technique and circumstances.
During breathing, swimmers should practise rotating the head appropriately rather than lifting it excessively.
In backstroke, a stable head position can help maintain body balance.
Correct head positioning helps reduce unnecessary resistance and improve coordination.
7. Reduce Resistance Through Proper Kicking
Kicking helps provide propulsion and maintain body position.
However, inefficient kicking movements can also increase drag.
For example, excessive knee bending during freestyle kicking may create unnecessary resistance.
Swimmers should practise controlled, coordinated kicking movements appropriate to their stroke.
Freestyle and Backstroke
Use coordinated flutter kicking while maintaining suitable body alignment.
Breaststroke
Develop the correct leg recovery, outward movement and propulsive kick while minimising unnecessary drag.
Butterfly
Practise coordinated dolphin kicking with controlled body undulation.
The objective is not simply to kick harder but to produce effective movement without creating excessive resistance.
8. Improve Breathing Technique to Reduce Drag
Breathing is essential during swimming, but poor breathing technique can disrupt body alignment.
In freestyle, lifting the head too high during inhalation can cause the lower body to sink.
This increases frontal resistance and may interrupt swimming rhythm.
A more efficient breathing technique involves coordinating head rotation with body rotation and arm movements.
Swimmers should practise breathing naturally and regularly rather than attempting to minimise breathing through excessive breath-holding.
Correct breathing coordination supports both comfort and swimming efficiency.
9. Reduce Unnecessary Movements
Swimming involves coordinated movements that generate propulsion.
However, unnecessary movements can waste energy and increase resistance.
Examples include:
- Excessive side-to-side movement
- Uncontrolled kicking
- Poorly timed arm recovery
- Excessive head lifting
- Unnecessary body twisting
- Incorrect stroke coordination
Through repeated practice and coaching feedback, swimmers can gradually develop smoother and more efficient movements.
10. Understand the Relationship Between Propulsion and Resistance
Swimming performance depends partly on the interaction between propulsive forces and drag.
Propulsion moves the swimmer forward, while drag opposes movement.
A simplified explanation is:
Net forward force = Forward propulsive force − Water resistance
When forward propulsion exceeds resistance, the swimmer accelerates.
When the forces are balanced, the swimmer maintains a steady speed.
When resistance exceeds propulsion, the swimmer slows down.
For example:
| Situation | Propulsive Force | Drag | Net Forward Force |
| Swimmer A | 100 N | 80 N | +20 N |
| Swimmer B | 100 N | 60 N | +40 N |
| Swimmer C | 100 N | 100 N | 0 N |
These are simplified illustrative values, not measured swimming forces.
Swimmer B has a greater net forward force than Swimmer A despite producing the same propulsive force.
This illustrates why reducing resistance can improve swimming acceleration without increasing propulsive force.
Actual swimming forces change throughout each stroke cycle, and drag generally increases as swimming speed increases.
