How Michael Phelps swims

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:56:17 GMT

The article has a major flaw,few third world countries were representive in swimming at the worlds. Most swimming countries are US, Australia, the European countries-western and eastern , Japan and China with a few from Latin countries. In the case of China, the country that is closest to being third world among the top swimming powers, the women swimmers outnumbered the men swimmers. Title 9 can't be blame for the sport not being as popular among boys. Also, the sport tends to be popular among non-hispanic whites and asians more than hispanics or blacks.l It tends to be more popular among people in the upper-middle class which tend to be more white or asian. I'm not saying that there not upper-middle class blacks or hispanics but they on average have less income. In the large states, blacks and hispanics make up a big chunk of the population, so Mr Phelps can't help in that department. But among white males and some other males he might influence them to try swimming..

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Mon, 18 Aug 2003 06:24:48 GMT

For those who may be interested, the Baltimore Sun has recently published a number of articles about Michael Phelps, as recently as yesterday. In addition, many of these articles are accompanied by some marvellous pictures, too. Click here if you wish to go to the Sunpaper's website. When you get there, just look for the sports links and then click on "Olympics." To the Sun's credit, many of these articles give a good local interest perspective.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Sun, 17 Aug 2003 14:53:58 GMT

I bet that almost every teenage girl swimmer has a crush on Michael, he is a good looking young man besides being a great swimmer.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Thu, 14 Aug 2003 06:00:56 GMT

As you point out Phelps is "slender" so I think a better term is lean, especially compared to Thorpe. Without his body suit on Thorpe looks "soft" compared to Phelps. While Phelps "lastest" world record at Nationals in the 200 IM got a lot of press it was his 200 back that impressed me the most. His backstroke is the most technically perfect backstroke I've ever seen in person (I have seen Rouse, Krazyelburg, Peirsol, Welsh, Rick Carey and Dave Berkoff swim. I've not personally seen Roland Mattes but did see him on video). Too bad the Olympic schedule will not allow him to challenge Peirsol and others in this stroke. Instead I'm willing to bet that Phelps will select the 200 free as his fifth event and that he will win the gold in this event at Athens. PS: The first Olympic event is exactly one year away (Saturday August 14th).

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Tue, 12 Aug 2003 14:00:30 GMT

Well, he's slender but I think he has one of the perfect builts for swimming. His muscles are as flexible as a rubber band. He has a lot of what I called flubber-those swimmer muscles we all get from doing miles and miles of swimming that when you shake them their like the flubber in the all Disney movie it makes you very flexible like a rubber band.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Thu, 31 Jul 2003 12:24:59 GMT

I finally got back in the pool today after 7 days enforced break due to the Flu. I tried out some of the key technique points shown by Phelps. I already use the head positioning mentioned earlier. The new tip for me was in Fly to have the hand entry wider than the shoulders. Previously I my hands had always entered at the width of the shoulders and then I moved the hands out and down into the 'catch' position. With a wider hand entry, like Phelps, what happened was that I could direct the palms backward and just pull straight back almost immediately. This seemed to be easier, time is not wasted getting your hands into the catch position and the pull instead of: "pull out, back and in under chest" and then extend and release, became " pull back, in under chest and then extend and release. This seemed to be more powerful and the recovery was easier as you move your hands a shorter distance from "release, exit, to entry". My older method also seemed harder on the shoulders. I have always thought that my fly should be faster than it is and I may have found a way to speed up. Time will tell ! I also worked on the free arm recovery to try to develop the same Rhythym shown by Phelps and Popov. This to me appears as if they are "galloping". I think that this is done by "quick shoulder shifting forward" to initiate recovery, this is descibed on: www.zoomers.net/new-bestrecovery.htm . I see that the advantage here is that recovery takes less muscle force, is very fast and as it starts with a fast acceleration and slows down for the entry it gives the benefits of a "soft hand entry." I found that this also worked pretty well for me, so look out at my next meet and thank you Michael Phelps & Popov !

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Wed, 30 Jul 2003 16:55:41 GMT

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/

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Wed, 30 Jul 2003 15:06:55 GMT

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.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Wed, 30 Jul 2003 14:08:01 GMT

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.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:38:24 GMT

Originally posted by seltzer ... 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. ... 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.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

knelson — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 11:53:39 GMT

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.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 10:00:27 GMT

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.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 09:47:37 GMT

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.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Mon, 28 Jul 2003 14:45:59 GMT

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.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Mon, 28 Jul 2003 13:34:21 GMT

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.

RE: How Michael Phelps swims

Former Member — Sun, 27 Jul 2003 12:14:54 GMT

Originally posted by Gareth Eckley ... 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.