Last Updated on December 2, 2020 by admin
In this article, we’ll provide advice, insight, tips and hacks to help you improve your drafting technique.
Although it’s seldom used in the pool, is common practice in open water. But just what is drafting, how does it work and how can you best use it during a race?
What is drafting?
Drafting is an open water swimming technique, where two or more swimmers align in a close group to reduce the overall effects of drag, by swimming in the lead swimmer’s slipstream. It can significantly reduce the energy required whilst swimming by between 20% and 30%.
How does it work?
As a lead swimmer swims through the water, they lower the water’s pressure, which allows a drafting swimmer to swim faster through it.
The key principles
The faster and larger the lead swimmer, and the closer the draft swimmer is to the lead swimmer, the more effective the draft.
Drafting is performed in both open water and competition pools
In open water, swimming in the sea, a lake, a reservoir, a river or a dock, drafting is a key open water swimming skill. Open water swimmers, draft using two main methods, either swimming directly behind or to the side of the lead swimmer.
In a competition pool, a swimmer can draft on the hip, by swimming close to the lane rope/line that separates them from another swimmer.
Drafting Formations:
There are five main drafting formations: regular, on the hip/beside, triangular, inverted triangular or the kite/diamond.
Regular formation
Swimming directly behind a lead swimmer has the advantage of providing a more effective draft, but has a number of disadvantages.
Regular drafting formation
- By swimming close to the lead swimmer’s feet, there is a danger of swimming into them if they either stop or slow down.
- Ideally, the drafting swimmer should leave between 1 to 2 feet between their outstretched hand and the feet of the lead swimmer, to stay in the optimum drafting zone, while reducing the risk of swimming into them.
- Avoid touching or tapping the lead swimmer’s feet, which can be very annoying and distracting, this can lead to them losing their stroke rhythm and/or slowing their swimming pace.
- Swimming directly behind the lead swimmer can require the drafting swimmer to lift their head out of the water to sight, thus disrupting their stroke rhythm and streamlined swimming position.
- Some more experienced swimmers follow the bubbles of the lead swimmer to enable them to sight less often
On the hip/beside formations
Swimming to the side of the lead swimmer, with the drafting swimmer’s head level with the lead swimmer’s hips.
- The drafting swimmer needs to swim as close and alongside the lead swimmer to ensure they are obtaining an effective draft, but not too close to cause both swimmers to bump into each other.
- The drafting swimmer needs to ensure that they are breathing in the direction of the lead swimmer, to ensure they know exactly where they are.
- On the hip/beside, triangular and inverted triangular formations have the disadvantage of providing a less effective draft, but have the advantages of reducing the danger of swimming into the lead swimmer’s feet and reducing the need for the swimmer to lift their head out of the water to sight.
Combination formation
The kite/diamond combines both on the hip and swimming behind drafting techniques.
Pool Drills
To become competent at drafting requires skill, experience and confidence, only acquired by training and competition. It’s best to start your draughting training in the pool.
1.1: Regular/File drill
- This drill is best performed in a group of 3 or more swimmers.
- Swimmers start this drill by swimming in a file, one swimmer behind the other, down one side of the lane, with the lead swimmer, swimming at race pace, the remaining swimmers drafting as close to the swimmer in front without touching their feet.
- After 100m the lead swimmer will stop swimming, move to the side of the lane, allow all the other swimmers to pass and then re-join at the back of the file, allowing the new lead swimmer to pick up the pace. Finnish the set once every swimmer has had the chance to lead the file.
- Steadily increase the number of set repetitions. For example, starting at 1 x 400m, then progression to 2 x 400m, then 3 x 400m and finally 1 x 1200m, where the swimmers take the lead 3 times without the group taking a rest.
1.2: On the hip drill
- This drill is performed by two swimmers, one swimming down the left-hand side of the lane and the other swimmer swimming down the right-hand side.
- The swimmer on the left-hand side of the lane leads and swims at race pace.
- The drafting swimmer on the right-hand side of the lane, positions themselves close to the lead swimmer, with their head in line with the lead swimmer’s hip, breathing bi-laterally or breathing to their left.
- Ensure when turning that the swimmers move apart to their side of the lane to ensure they can both turn safely. On completing the first turn, the lead swimmer resumes their position, but this time on the lead swimmer’s right-hand side, with the drafting swimmer, again taking up a close position, with their head in line with the lead swimmer’s hip, but this time breathing bi-laterally or breathing to their right.
- Complete this set for 100m, then change positions allowing the lead swimmer to draft and the draughting swimmer to lead. Steadily increase the number of set repetitions. For example, starting at 1 x 100m, then progression to 2 x 200m, then 2 x 400m and finally 2 x 800m.
If the pool lanes are wide enough to allow 3 swimmers abreast, then the above drill can be performed using either triangular or inverted triangular drafting formations.
1.3: Group drill
Although it can be difficult to swim and effectively turn in a group of 4 or more swimmers for more than one length, it is important that swimmers first experience group drafting in the clear and warm environment of a pool.
Race Tactics
Once a swimmer has learned the basics of drafting in the pool, the next step is to practice in open water. It’s important to gain as much experience with drafting before entering a competition.
When entering an open water competition, it’s important to be able to adapt your drafting tactics, as its common to change lead swimmers and drafting formations more than once during a race.
Changing a lead swimmer
Due to the benefits of drafting, a swimmer should ideally draft behind a lead swimmer that is slightly faster than them. Some open water swimmers start their drafting behind a certain lead swimmer, but as the swim progresses they change to another, depending on if they wish to swim faster or slower.
Changing formation
Some open water swimmers start the swim by drafting in the behind/regular formation, and towards the end of the swim they change to an on the hip/beside formation to avoid the drag caused by many lead swimmers increasing their leg kick.
Related article on how to swim safely in open water
We have produced a related article providing advice, hacks, tips and examples, on how to swim safely in open water. Which you can view by clicking this link: swimming safely in open water
Takeaway
Being able to draft correctly is a significant advantage to open water swimmers and should be a key component to any training programme.