Everyone who watched coverage of the World Championships this year no doubt noticed Michael Phelps new distinct lope in his freestyle. I know a lot of other swimmers do this too, and their freaking fast, so this morning I asked my coach about it. She looked at me quizzically and said it's a very bad habit to have and if you don't do it naturally just forget about it.
But, Phelps didn't have this very obvious lope up to now, and he just broke 5 world records with it. So it doesn't seem like it can be that bad. I'm not to prove my coach wrong, I'm just curious.
So if anybody knows anything, please share. Why does it make some fast and for others it could be considered a bad habit? What's the trick to learning it? If it is a bad habit, why did Phelps bother to pronounce it?
I have developed a lope. I think it comes from the slight pause during breathing and the the increased velocity for the entering arm to "catch up" to the leg cycle. This arm velocity causes an increase in momentum and it is taken advantage of with a bit longer and stroger glide. Then the whole thing repeats.
I guess it is OK to a point. Thorpe had none of this and I think his stroke was the most pleasing to watch.
I have developed a lope. I think it comes from the slight pause during breathing and the the increased velocity for the entering arm to "catch up" to the leg cycle. This arm velocity causes an increase in momentum and it is taken advantage of with a bit longer and stroger glide. Then the whole thing repeats.
I guess it is OK to a point. Thorpe had none of this and I think his stroke was the most pleasing to watch.
