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,
