As quoted in the AP article:
"You'll all have to see. I'm not saying anything until we unveil it," Phelps said with a grin when asked how he's tweaked the stroke. "It's a significant change. You'll be able to tell exactly what I did as soon as I take my first stroke."
He's on tap to swim the 100- and 200-meter free and the 100 butterfly at the Charlotte UltraSwim in NC. Should be interesting to see.
Parents
Former Member
A style or quirk of an individual's recovery is just that a style or quirk. A good coach like Bowman knows that frill or style in and of itself doesn't make a swimmer faster. The style or quirk that becomes a habit of a world record holder is important for that person but to teach a style or quirk to a novice or beginner can be more than a stumbling block for the future success of that swimmer. Most coaches know there are techniques that every swimmer must achieve to become successful. Symetry is indeed critical to most athletic movements and swimming is no exception. As swimmers set records, you will see less loping / gliding. It is indeed all about the production of positive inertia. A straight arm recover takes the hand longer from exit to entry versus a hand from a bent arm recovery. Another disadvantage with a straight are recovery is the potential for more air to be created upon the hands entry. Air on the hand or around the hand creates less drag (e.g. a breaststroker who uses an over-the-water recovery may have a faster recovery but if the hands do not clear the air upon the entry ~ It becomes a stroke fault). There have been and will continue to be successful swimmers using a straight arm recovery but good coaches will continue to teach novice or beginners the best way first and adjust to that critical components for the individual. Good coaches teach sound fundamentals first then allow quirks or styles when they're not counter-productive to speed.
These are some of the critical propulsive characteristics that swimmers can change are:
The depth they pull
The speed they pull
How effectively the can achieve an EVF,
The path their hand takes (moving from turbulent to still water)
Hand position (more or less surface area)
Position of their body (efficient reduction of frontal resistance).
I'd like coaches to note that every swimmer should try to improve these critical propulsive characteristics. The future success of age group, beginner or novice swimmers depend upon the effective teaching, learning and application of these skills. Good luck!
A style or quirk of an individual's recovery is just that a style or quirk. A good coach like Bowman knows that frill or style in and of itself doesn't make a swimmer faster. The style or quirk that becomes a habit of a world record holder is important for that person but to teach a style or quirk to a novice or beginner can be more than a stumbling block for the future success of that swimmer. Most coaches know there are techniques that every swimmer must achieve to become successful. Symetry is indeed critical to most athletic movements and swimming is no exception. As swimmers set records, you will see less loping / gliding. It is indeed all about the production of positive inertia. A straight arm recover takes the hand longer from exit to entry versus a hand from a bent arm recovery. Another disadvantage with a straight are recovery is the potential for more air to be created upon the hands entry. Air on the hand or around the hand creates less drag (e.g. a breaststroker who uses an over-the-water recovery may have a faster recovery but if the hands do not clear the air upon the entry ~ It becomes a stroke fault). There have been and will continue to be successful swimmers using a straight arm recovery but good coaches will continue to teach novice or beginners the best way first and adjust to that critical components for the individual. Good coaches teach sound fundamentals first then allow quirks or styles when they're not counter-productive to speed.
These are some of the critical propulsive characteristics that swimmers can change are:
The depth they pull
The speed they pull
How effectively the can achieve an EVF,
The path their hand takes (moving from turbulent to still water)
Hand position (more or less surface area)
Position of their body (efficient reduction of frontal resistance).
I'd like coaches to note that every swimmer should try to improve these critical propulsive characteristics. The future success of age group, beginner or novice swimmers depend upon the effective teaching, learning and application of these skills. Good luck!
