1. Longer is Better
Most think that in order to swim faster, you need to take more and faster strokes. In reality, to move faster, a swimmer should take longer and fewer strokes to power himself more quickly through the water. It is not as simple as eliminating strokes. It is all about moving farther in the water during each stroke, thereby reducing the number you need to finish a lap. Body position is another way to swim faster. As you swim, the body tends to sink and cause resistance and drag in the water. Therefore, to decrease the drag you need to keep the body position as straight as possible and not drop the feet during a swim.
2. What a Drag
Another way to swim faster by reducing drag is to make sure to stretch your body as long as you can during the swim. This gives your body more area in the water and reduces drag, thereby causing you to swim faster. You can also turn the body to the side. This turning makes it easier for the body to slice through the water because of the reduced resistance to the water you are moving through. Any way you slice it, you want make the resistance less and increase how far you travel between swimming strokes.
3. Train Less
Studies have shown that over-training reduces the ability of the swimmer's fast-twitch muscles to perform properly. The optimum performances of these muscles are imperative to achieve maximum speed in the pool. In fact, over-training actually changes these muscles from fast-twitch to slow-twitch, and sometimes, the damage is permanent. Think of it this way: Do sprinters in track run 15 miles a day to prepare for the sprint? Absolutely not. But that is what swimmers often do. So, next time you are training for your event or specialty, keep your energy focused on good form and proper times and not how long you train.
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