Solid Shoulder Series: Part 4. Streamline

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If you want to swim fast, you need a good streamline. Cut through the water like a hot knife through butter. But, it’s a huge limiting factor and problem for a lot of swimmers, getting your arms over your head is an essential skill. Normally, we look for around 10-15° of movement relative to the ground. This gives our athletes the movement required to perform at a high level in the water which also translates to an improvement in more than just the streamlined position, such as body position and recovery during Butterfly free swimming.

This skill is built over weeks and months depending on the starting position, with multiple factors contributing to one’s ability to get into a streamlined position. These factors include capsule stiffness, scapula control, thoracic extension and rotation, and lumbopelvic control, to name a few.

To gain ranges of movement, however, it’s more than simply static stretch, we need to control and generate tension and build strength in the new ranges. Allowing ourselves to slowly chip away at the restrictions and build new positions.

Demonstration of a Swiss Ball Shoulder and Thoracic Opener. This allows the swimmer to ‘melt’ over the ball and achieve high degrees of streamlined movement. Loading the movement also helps the athlete to generate strength and tension in the extreme ranges of movement.

Some things to consider:

1. The Swiss Ball is used because it’s soft and comfortable. We aren’t trying to work on balance.

2. Use the lightest possible load for this type of exercise.

3. Wide feet to create a broad base of support.

4. Athlete is trying to mobilise the spine and the shoulders here to hit multiple areas of restrictions.