Open Water Drafting Masterclass: The Energy-Saving Map — 18% Behind the Feet, 12% at the Hip

Drafting Isn’t Cheating — It’s Physics

In open water and triathlon swimming, drafting is a legal and essential skill. The turbulence left behind a swimmer who has just broken through the water has lower density, and combined with the bow wave effect, the swimmer following behind can save significant energy. Research estimates the following:

In other words, drafting correctly over a 1500-meter swim could let you finish while saving up to 20% of your energy — leaving that strength for the bike and run legs.

The Trade-off Between the Two Draft Positions

Feet draft: Saves the most energy, but you can’t see ahead, you’re completely dependent on the leader’s navigation, and you’ll often get kicked by their flutter kick. This suits swimmers who “trust the leader to swim a straight line” and have weaker fitness.

Hip draft: Position yourself beside the leader’s hip, slightly behind, inside their “slipstream cone” (roughly a 45-degree angle back from their hip). Slightly less energy savings, but you can sight for yourself, avoid getting kicked, and overtake when necessary. For intermediate and advanced swimmers, the hip draft is the smarter choice.

How to Latch On and Hold Your Position

1. The first 200 meters after the start is the golden window: at this point the pack hasn’t spread out yet, so actively move into the feet-draft or hip-draft position.
2. Find someone at the right pace: draft off someone slightly faster than you who swims a straight line — don’t draft off someone slower.
3. Light contact, no protesting: minor body contact is normal — keep your rhythm and don’t panic.
4. Buoy turns: this is the point where you’re most likely to get dropped, but also the easiest place to overtake. Move to the inside line early, shorten your turning radius, and add 3–5 strong strokes through the turn to hold your position.

How to Train for It

Drafting requires pace adaptability — the ability to match someone else’s speed and maintain technique in irregular turbulence. Training suggestions:

• Pair up, taking turns as the “rabbit,” with the other swimmer practicing 4×200 meters each in the feet-draft and hip-draft positions.
• Practice “variable-pace drafting”: the leader changes pace every 100 meters, and the follower must stay glued to them.
• Train in open water as a group to actually feel the difference in energy savings between the different positions.

Coach’s note: many swimmers with strong independent swimming ability lose ground in races simply because they “disdain drafting” or “don’t know how to draft.” Treat drafting as a skill that requires deliberate practice, not luck. The 20% of energy you save coming out of the water will pay you back in the final 2 kilometers of the run.

Open water swimming is a game of group dynamics — those who know how to draw on others’ power will always swim faster than their raw ability alone would suggest.

Related Reading

• Open Water Drafting Technique: The Energy-Saving Difference Between the Feet Position and the Hip Position
• The Benefits and Techniques of Open Water Drafting: Swim Smart and Save 30% of Your Energy
• Draft Swimming Technique in Standard Triathlon: The Invisible Weapon for Saving Energy
• The Legal Tactic of Open Water Drafting: The Positioning Science Behind an 8% Swimming Energy Saving