What's the single most important thing you can do to improve your swimming? Streamline!

Why Do It:
Seriously. No matter how hard you work to improve your SWIMMING, it's how well you do THIS that will make you a champion.

A solid pushoff... followed by a tight streamline... sets you up for a fast length of swimming. Every time.

You can isolate these two moves... and really focus on them... by doing them vertically.

How to Do It:
To demonstrate this drill, and how to have some fun with it, we made a visit to the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction, Vermont.

We asked the UVAC age-group team, led by head coach Dorsi Raynolds and head age-group coach Signe Linville, to show us their best streamline jumps -- over and over again in 8 feet of water.

As you can see, this takes great control with the core muscles.

You get the best results when you plant your feet...lock one hand over the other...and lock the head between the shoulders. Jump straight up, and use your core to keep you straight as you shoot out of the water...and as you sink back down.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):
For an extra challenge, try doing Streamline Jumps in sync with your teammates. Here are a few members of the UVAC Masters team, coached by Barbara, having some fun while they practice great pushoffs and streamlines.

Thanks again to all the swimmers and coaches at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center for a great weekend in a super facility.