These are my observations on the techique of Michael Phelps, the 1st " Modern swimmer" for all 4 strokes. He is swimming using the most " cutting edge " of techniques on all 4 strokes.
Free: Looks like 'Popov', same stroke rythym, " Gallop" in stroke, Bent arm recovery, Shoulder shifting forward ( not dropping shoulder) and underwater phases of pull show principles of " Australian Crawl". He also has a very smooth Hand entry, hand almost flat.
Back: Head lies lower in the water, eyes looking up, very still head. Just like 'Krazyleburg'. Shoulder shifted back, horizontal to the water on entry - catch, no dropped shoulder here.
***: Head held in ' neutral ' position, eyes looking at a fixed point ahead, Head does not shift position. His head does not 'bob' up and down, which is 'old style'.
Fly: Head position "same as above" does not 'raise head up and jut chin forward' ( Old style). Hand entry wider than shoulder, immediate catch and into the pull, timing characteristics of "front end fly".
To sum up, Phelps swims all 4 strokes using the best technique shown by World beaters. Free as Popov, Back as Krazyleburg etc. He will dominate his events until someone comes along who is also using " best technique" in each stroke.
Who is coaching Phelps? This is a coach who is ensuring that he is "up to date " with latest technique and is learning from the best so that " His swimmer can be the best". That I Admire !
Former Member
Originally posted by Gareth Eckley
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Who is coaching Phelps? This is a coach who is ensuring that he is "up to date " with latest technique and is learning from the best so that " His swimmer can be the best". That I Admire !
Is Bowman, in a U.S. Swimming club in Maryland.
Bowman produced Olympic breaststroker Anita Nall and other good racers in U.S. Swimming.
A lot of Phelps' progress surprised Bowman too, meaning that a lot of Phelps' progress is due to Phelps executing well.
I remember that in 2000, before the U.S. Trials when Phelps was bragging in his swimming lane to teammates that he was going to qualify for the 200 fly, Bowman surprised told Phelps not to broadcast an achievement out of Phelps' reach like that.
For the record, it's Bob Bowman who coaches Michael, amongst others. The club is the North Baltimore Aquatics Club in Northern Baltimore City. NBAC is a one of the largest aquatics clubs in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
For those who are interested, there are numerous articles and pictures of Michael in the Baltimore Sunpapers. For those who might be interested in reading about Phelps from a local point of view, see www.sunspot.net There are some great pictures there, too.
Phelps does exhibit excellent technique in the backstroke. Holds his head in position throughout the stroke (even better than Lenny K). As you point out he prefers to keep himself in the forward looking ahead position in breaststroke. A technique that has worked for many. His fly is different than most other world class flyers (and differs considerably from Crockers). He keeps his head looking forward and as you noted does not look down. He also breathes one up and one down for both the 100/200. What is most striking when watching him swim in person is how he maintains a straight line from the head to base of spine. He must be very strong to be able to maintain this position. Not surprisingly he follows a Barrowman type of land training technique with very heavy emphasis on core strenghth. In person he looks somewhat lean/skinny compared to some other swimmers (Thorpe) BUT his muscles become very obvious when he moves.
Physcially Phelps is less "mature" than Thorpe at the same age. If he can maintain his mental focus he'll get a lot faster. I wouldn't be surprised if he also exhibit much more speed as he matures.
His "weakness" of lacking pure speed should be cured with the dvelopment of his muscular system over the next few years. I believe ION pointed out the fact that Thorpe's body was more mature at age 18 than Phelps is now. I agree. I put it at 50/50 that he goes under 50 in the 100 fly by the time it is all over. I even think that he will be on the 400 free relay at the next Olympics.
There is no doubt in my mind that had crocker been in on the 400 free relay the US would have won that relay too.
I agree that Phelps will be a lot faster at Athens in the 100s. Based on the recent quotes, it sounds like the loss in the 100 fly has him fired up and he's swimming a bunch of events at Nationals rather than rest (100/200/400 free and perhaps some backstroke).
Would Ian Crocker have made the difference? Maybe. Crocker, like Phelps is a middle distance swimmer (except that Phelps is also quite remarkable at distance swimming and might be the best 400 swimmer in the US). At 16 he was very skinny but still set 15-16 NAG record for the 200 free (I believe 1:38 or 1:39) and also set NAG records for the 200 LCM. Some of us in NE thought he might be the one to revive middle distance free in the US. Instead he focused on the 100 fly. However, just like Phelps he'll need to adjust to swim a good 100 free--obviously based on his 50 fly he has the speed (in this case cadence). I did notice that Crocker's body has changed a lot since he was 18-he's much bigger and has lots more speed. Things could get pretty interesting if Phelps matures physically AND maintains his desire to compete.
Phelps' streamlining is also superb. He gets an incredible amount of distance off each wall with a very powerful dolphin kick. He's got to be in incredible condition to stay under for so long throughout a 400 IM.
His only weakness, as we saw, is he needs to take out the 100 fly faster. He just couldn't catch Crocker after trailing by so far at the 50.
Originally posted by seltzer
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At 16 he was very skinny but still set 15-16 NAG record for the 200 free (I believe 1:38 or 1:39) and also set NAG records for the 200 LCM. Some of us in NE thought he might be the one to revive middle distance free in the US. Instead he focused on the 100 fly.
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Crocker swam 1:49.48 for the 200 meter free Long Course, at the U.S. National Championships in 1998 when he was age 15.
Without having a 50 meter pool where he trains, in Maine.
Crocker tried to qualify for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team in free and fly, and made the 100 fly.
One day after qualifying for the 100 fly, asked by a reporter since when he became a 100 meter fly specialist, Crocker answered:
"Since yesterday."
Right now, there are three world class flyers in the U.S.:
Crocker, Phelps and Michelson.
Ben Michelson, swimming in N.C.A.A. division II, goes mid 52 in 100 fly Long Course.
At the 2003 World Championships, the 4x100 U.S. medley relay that left out Phelps in fly because Crocker was faster, shows unbelievable competition in U.S. in fly, right now.
Phelps, the way he persisted to get in the 2003 World Championships a new world record in the 200 fly, that's the way he will push for a new world record in the 100 fly, soon.
North Balitmore was formed back in the 1970's about the same time as the NovaAquatics was formed in Irvine. A lot of these teams from the 1970's, with Carl Burke in Virginia are instrumential in top swimmers today. On the other hand, top teams in the 1960's and 1970's have went to the way side. Long Beach(Beach) rarely has anyone to quailfy for either nationals or the olympic trials. Santa Clara only has Tom Wilkens. So, the teams started in the 1970's adopted newer ways of doing things while the older teams didn't.
Not completely irrelevant:
Michelson's time at the D2 championship was faster than Crocker's time at D1s. I found that hard to believe at the time, and especially hard to believe now.
Are Olympic trials in March or August next year. Although it messes up the college season I would prefer that trials were in March.
Olympic Trials will be held begin in early July and will be contested in a temporary pool in Long Beach, Ca. Once again the US will hold the trials very close to the Olympics (shades of Sydney-very sucessful, shades of Seol not so good). All in all this decision is a good one and should benefit some of the up and coming swimmers (and will give Phelps several more months to put on some muscle).
I've got my tickets. If you want to attend go to:
http://www.longbeach2004.com/
