Michael Phelps

Here is a great video link on Michael Phelps under-water swimming video.google.com/videoplay Also, here are some general comments on the video... I hope this becomes a useful resource. The way Phelps "skims" on the surface by keeping his hips high and head and shoulders "relatively" flat while breathing; this is incredible... It seems that both his kick (inverted scoop from knees to toes), combined with his finishing arm cycle is the key. He really presses his hands together through the pull and releases in a way that pushes his torso deeper into the water. This raises his hip position all the way through the recovery, and these features, all combined are very impressive. When you slow down the video (looking at Phelp's swimming directly towards the camera) the position is quite revealing. After his entry at the top of the stroke (being relatively wide) he cuts straight into his chest just below the shoulders... This paused frame looks quite strange for butterfly, and if you just left the video in this paused position you could easily mistake it for breastroke. I was trying to understand why this was, and after "playing" in the water, I noticed that the sharp in-sweep at the top of the stroke creates upward lift, (a much sooner and sharper in-sweep than traditional butterfly). This then makes it way easier to finish the stroke straight down the center-line. Also, this temporarily creates a water "bubble" which your body rolls down, significantly increasing distance-per-stroke, and helps to push the torso forward. The combination of this upper-body action with the perfectly timed body dolphin is certainly an asset for Michael Phelps. I hope this short tutorial was useful. Happy Swimming,