Paul, Gary Hall Jr. has talked alot about this. In 1996, when he was a skinny 21 year old who was getting kicked out of practice and drifting from coach to coach, he goes a 48.8 and 22.2 in the 50. 4 years later he matures both physcially and mentally, focuses on the right kind of traning and goes a 48.7 and 21.7. The drop in the 50 is pretty good, the 100 almost nothing. And I have a hard time chalking it up to anything but physical maturation.
Of course Dara said that she did exactly what you proposed just to a higher degree than any swimmer in history. And it certainly worked for her.
Gary's age group coach crushed him withheavy yardage (and everyone alelse)...not much into quality/sprint work at all...and when Gary was that skinny guy as a freshman at Texas he goes 1:33 in a 200...so again as Chris says a LOT of talent..a lot of hard work and at various points in his career. Bottom's focus at TRC is far more race based and very much built around the 50/100.
Paul, Gary Hall Jr. has talked alot about this. In 1996, when he was a skinny 21 year old who was getting kicked out of practice and drifting from coach to coach, he goes a 48.8 and 22.2 in the 50. 4 years later he matures both physcially and mentally, focuses on the right kind of traning and goes a 48.7 and 21.7. The drop in the 50 is pretty good, the 100 almost nothing. And I have a hard time chalking it up to anything but physical maturation.
Of course Dara said that she did exactly what you proposed just to a higher degree than any swimmer in history. And it certainly worked for her.
Gary's age group coach crushed him withheavy yardage (and everyone alelse)...not much into quality/sprint work at all...and when Gary was that skinny guy as a freshman at Texas he goes 1:33 in a 200...so again as Chris says a LOT of talent..a lot of hard work and at various points in his career. Bottom's focus at TRC is far more race based and very much built around the 50/100.
