Loping Freestyle Technique

It's a power driven stroke. And probably suits people with strong upper bodies and a good kick. Many of the teenage boys at our last USA meet were loping. It was very cool to watch. They were fast. At around 3 minutes into this clip (of infamous the relay), you can see how Lezak's freestyle begins reeling in Bernard. He just gallops his way to the finish. YouTube - men's 4x100 freestyle relay - Beijing - UNDERWATER VIEW

I think what Rob is saying, is that there's a split second of everything being under the water line. Head, shoulders and torso disappear from the surface. This TI clip shows both the TI Coach and Phelps experience total submersion during the mid stroke cycle. (Phelps however uses a slight lope, even when he's doing a relaxed 2 beat kick.) YouTube - Comparison of Freestyle (Jones, Phelps and TI coach) Another thing that stands out to me on those clips, is that the shoulders rotate out of the water BEFORE the arm exits to start the recovery I had thought for a long time that the shoulder and exiting arm came out together but in those clips of Jones and Phelps, it is clear that the shoulder exits first, then the recovering arm follows suit...eye opening.

My theory is that the lope allows the swimmer to incorporate some dolphining into the long-axis strokes, ie, use the torso to produce propulsion.

Here is a nice lope. He basically gets submerged. YouTube - Phelps Smashes 200-free World Record

Now if I could just do that.....hmmmmm.

I watched carefully in slow motion and it looks like Phelps gets completely submerged. It must be legal. Definitely not legal: SW 5.3 Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race, except it shall be permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn and for a distance of not more than 15 metres after the start and each turn. By that point, the head must have broken the surface.

Neat video Rob. The commentator even remarked on the loping style. And the brief underwater 'gallop' is pretty noticeable.

seems to me like the lope is really an adjustment made for breathing. two questions: 1) does anyone lope and alternate breathe? 2) would phelps do the lope if he were swimming with a snorkel? loping is not something i practice, but i do fall into it naturally if i am swimming at race pace and breathing on one side.

I think what Rob is saying, is that there's a split second of everything being under the water line. Head, shoulders and torso disappear from the surface. This TI clip shows both the TI Coach and Phelps experience total submersion during the mid stroke cycle. (Phelps however uses a slight lope, even when he's doing a relaxed 2 beat kick.) YouTube - Comparison of Freestyle (Jones, Phelps and TI coach)

Will you be at Zones or N.C. state meet? If they don't cancel it, I'll be at the NC meet. Two freestyle events: 200 and 1000. Fortress, I don't remember; I know it happens whether I breathe or not. It is pretty obvious in the photos, though. No shoulder problems so far!