Phelps ready to try out new freestyle technique

AMEN! Fred Bousquet went a :46.63 relay split in the 400 Free Relay going in the 3rd position at the 2008 Olympic Games. In all the excitement of the relay I did not catch what type of suit he was wearing but I don't think he was wearing a Jaked suit. He did not swim the 100 Free as an individual event because he did not qualify for the top 2 spots on the French team and those went to gold medalist Alain Bernard and Fabien Gilot so we don't know what he could have done in the individual event at the Olympic games but if his relay split is any indication, this is proof that Craig Lord's statement of "no way" does not hold up to this fact of fast swimming in the relay without the Jaked suit.

Swimming always does this...following trends I mean. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. But, teaching a straight arm recovery to everyone will be a mistake the same as trying to teach everyone to do the high elbow recovery was a mistake. Agreed. First because it won't work for everyone and second because it is VERY stressful on the shoulders. Quiksilver, I have timed it in workouts up to about 80-85% max effort and found about a .5-.75 second difference for a series of 50's. Hoch noted in another post that he did the swiMetrics testing in Clovis and there was no doubt that the straight arm recovery was more powerful. He also mentioned that a straighter arm undeerwater pull vs. the old "S" pull was more powerful...interesting because I find that when I switch to straight arm recovery the underwater straightarm pull occurs more naturally as well. Tdrop...please kick geek in the shhin for me next time you see him.

I agree that the "no way" statement is wrong. But Bousquet has a history of being an incredible relay swimmer. I think he went a 47.00 in 2005 at Worlds, but then didn't final in the individual. What might be accurate is to say that Bousquet is finally showing the potential he exhibited in some relay swims. Are you sure about that split at 2005 Worlds in Montreal? Or maybe it was another meet? I went to the Omega site and saw that Fred Bousquet split a :48.98 in the 400 Medley Relay. He did not swim the heats of France's 400 Free Relay and they did not make the final. The fastest split relay splits I could fine was by Neil Walker at :47.70 and Jason Lesak at :47.98 and they were the only swimmers to go under 48 seconds for the relay splits at the meet. The 100 Free was won by Filippo Magnini at :48.12 followed by Roland Schoeman at :48.28 and Ryk Neethling at :48.34. At the 2007 Worlds in Melbourne, Australia Fred Bousquet swam the second leg in :48.48 and the fastest relay splits at that meet were by Filippo Magnini at :47.18, Jason Lesak at :47.32 and Roland Schoeman at :47.98 and they were the only ones to go under 48 seconds in the relay. The 100 Free was won in a tie between Filippo Magnini and Brent Hayden at :48.43. 2005 was the year that Fred Bousquet swam under 19 seconds in the 50 yard Free at the NCAA meet and I remember that he did not perform up to that standard in Long Course until last year when he did that :46.63 in the 400 Free Relay, which is the second fastest split of all time behind Jason Lesak split of :46.06 from the same 400 Free Relay.

I wonder if Phelps is physically strong enough to optomize a straight arm recovery. He is puny compared to alot of these guys especially in the shoulders and deltoids.

Swimming always does this...following trends I mean. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. But, teaching a straight arm recovery to everyone will be a mistake the same as trying to teach everyone to do the high elbow recovery was a mistake. It will be slow unless you have already have serious speed to make it work. My guess is many people will focus on what their arms look like above water and unless it is somehow connected to what's going on underneath it won't make any real difference. Is it the speed that creates the technique or the technique that creates the speed? For instance, put fins on and sprint a 100 free. See what happens to your recovery with the additional speed. I know my arms naturally go a little straighter. Its just the natural result of the increase in speed for me. What I think is great is it has stopped some coaches from forcing a high elbow recovery on everyone. Now hopefully in time we'll learn that you can't force a straight arm recovery on everyone either. How the hand enters the water becomes part of the setting-up of the stroke that is crucial to efficient swimming. If the swimmer creates a lot of air behind their hand the entry must be fixed. So, unless the recovery is creating an environment that is counterproductive to speed or creates shoulder problems, let the swimmer recover any way they want.

So, I have to agree on some level that Fred would probably not be able to accomplish yesterday's swim without the assistance of the newer suits. At the same time, you could have put anybody in Fred's suit and they would not come close to swimming like him. Its amazing. Seth, We talked about the suit factore during the NC state meet last month. One thing I think that will happen, even if the 2008-2009 suits are banned, I do believe some athletes like Fred will be able to re-adapt and continue to swim at their current level. I think a number of them will take what they have learned from wearing the current suits(body position) and work in practice to improve upon that position. But as geek said, he and others may go faster, same or slower, we won't know until we know what suits are legal and which one's arent.

tdrop regularly puts the drop kick on me in practice so I defer to everything swimming related he says. He has impressive coaching and swimming credentials as well. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the NC state meet in Raleigh. Very fast and super nice guy.

OK. I saw the new technique. Why will straight arms be better for going faster? I was always told to bend them to get the forward motion & momentum. What's up ??

Seth, We talked about the suit factore during the NC state meet last month. One thing I think that will happen, even if the 2008-2009 suits are banned, I do believe some athletes like Fred will be able to re-adapt and continue to swim at their current level. I think a number of them will take what they have learned from wearing the current suits(body position) and work in practice to improve upon that position. But as geek said, he and others may go faster, same or slower, we won't know until we know what suits are legal and which one's arent. Ya, I agree Wookie. I do think that once you achieve a certain speed your brain figures things out subconsciously and has an easier time repeating the same speed. By the way, I thought you were you. Nice to chat. I need a job, man. I'm starting to feel guilty!

tdrop regularly puts the drop kick on me in practice so I defer to everything swimming related he says. He has impressive coaching and swimming credentials as well. this is a lie...geekface kills me on a regular basis. in fact, every time we do something free style which is longer than a 50.