The streamline is the fastest position in swimming — and the most commonly botched. In this video, The Race Club breaks down hyper streamline: elbows behind the head, chin tucked, back arched, and shoulders hyper-extended into a single rigid line that slices through the water.
The key correction most swimmers need? Stop putting your biceps over your ears. That popular “biceps-over-ears” method creates 9–11% more drag than a true hyper streamline. And here’s the catch: a correct streamline should feel uncomfortable. That tension is the signal you’re doing it right. (Only about 1 in 20 swimmers can actually touch their elbows together overhead — Gary Hall Sr. calls them unicorns.)
Because water is 787 times denser than air, even tiny imperfections in your line cost real speed off every wall and start. Master this position and you’ll carry more velocity through every turn, dive, and breakout in your race.