MAXIMIZING YOUR SPEED OFF THE START (USA Swimming)

June 6, 2014

BY MATT BARBINI//NATIONAL TEAM HIGH PERFORMANCE CONSULTANT

It’s an oversimplification, but at its root swimming is all about acceleration and deceleration, maximizing the former and minimizing the latter. In our day-to-day work on technique, there are a number of areas of focus that allow swimmers to isolate and correct or minimize areas of deceleration. However, for several reasons, body position after entry and prior to the initiation of stroke is often overlooked. 

 

The following video is an example of excellent underwater body position after the start. Notice how quickly he establishes his horizontal line after entry and how he holds speed by maintaining a tightly streamlined position parallel to the surface, without allowing his feet to rise or fall relative to his line. 





 

The next video is an example of how speed can be lost with minor flaws in body position. Note how his feet drop below his body line and his hips rise, creating an inefficient V-position rather than a straight line. 



 

While good underwater body position is not technically complex, identifying and correcting issues can be challenging. Unlike above-the-water technical elements, underwater video is the only reliable method for checking your body position after entry. While this is more logistically demanding than the naked eye, there are an increasing number of simple and relatively affordable solutions. A waterproof case for a phone or tablet works just as well as a handheld waterproof camera. Either method will allow coaches to give immediate feedback and provide athletes with the ability to see and address areas of weakness in their positions that they might not physically be aware of.   

 

MICHAEL PHELPS DOING SOME TRAINING WITH NORTH BALTIMORE AS SPECULATION GROWS (Swimming World Magazine)

October 22, 2013

BY DAVID REIDER

Courtesy of: Martin-Presse Sports via USA TODAY Sports

BALTIMORE, Maryland, October 20. THE winningest Olympian in history made his way back to the news on Sunday when an Associated Press report indicated that Michael Phelps has been training part-time with his former coach. Bob Bowman told Paul Newberry of the AP that his former star pupil had come to the pool from time to time for workouts but has not returned to full-time training with the goal of swimming in the Olympics in three years.

Bowman, when asked to comment on Phelps' current situation, told the AP, "He is occasionally training with the group to get back in shape." The composition of the group has changed considerably in the 15 months since Phelps hung up his goggles following the London Olympics. Yannick Agnel joined the group this summer, shortly before he picked up a world title in the 200 free at the World Championships.

Conor Dwyer and Matt McLean each won a gold medal on the 800 free relay at the Olympics in London along with Phelps, and both now train in Baltimore. Denmark's Lotte Friis, who won two silver medals at the World Championships, joined the group last month, as did recent North Carolina graduate Tom Luchsinger. Luchsinger won the U.S. National title in the 200 fly this past summer, taking advantage of a field that, for the first time in years, didn't feature Phelps.

In addition to Bowman and assistant Eric Posegay, Kennan Robinson recently rejoined the coaching staff at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club with the title "Director of Athlete Services," and he functions as the primary weights and dryland coach. Robinson worked with Bowman and Phelps during their time at Michigan and also from 2009-2012 in Baltimore. He returned to Michigan after the Olympics for a year but ended up back in Maryland.

Phelps would have plenty of time to jump back into training in time for the 2016 Olympics, but he does have a decision to make in the upcoming weeks. He will need to put his name back in the drug testing pool nine months in advance of his first competition. If Phelps has goals of swimming in the World Championships in 2015 in Kazan, Russia, he would have to qualify at the U.S. National Championships next summer, which begin on August 6. That means he has only until November 6 to announce his intentions. If he makes that decision later on, he will definitely have no opportunity to compete against the best in the world prior to 2016.

In the meantime, though, Phelps continues to play coy on his intentions. At the World Championships in Barcelona, Phelps refused to reveal his plans for a comeback, and he has continued to enjoy life in retirement. The AP reported that Phelps travelled to China late last week, where he watched the Golden State Warriors' win over the Los Angeles Lakers in preseason NBA action.

 

LOCHTE NEARLY WALKED AWAY FROM SWIMMING (Gatorsports.com)

July 29, 2013

BY JOHN BOOTHE, CORRESPONDENT

After leaving London with five medals last summer, Ryan Lochte felt he was due for an extended hiatus from the pool.

While in years past Lochte's customary post-Olympic break lasted weeks, the former Florida swimmer found reason this time to nearly stay away from his sport for good.

Even before he premiered an eight-part reality TV series in April on E!, Lochte soaked in his celebrity status with red carpet events and talk show guest spots following his third trip to the games.

“I don't know if I want to go through that long of a break again, because I almost didn't come back this year,” said Lochte, who graduated from UF in 2006. “I almost quit swimming, because I was juggling doing a TV show and doing all these appearances.

“Living that celebrity lifestyle and still trying to train, it's hard. There's times I almost quit, because I was having more fun outside the pool than I was in the pool. Usually that was never the case.”

With the 15th FINA World Championships underway in Barcelona, however, Lochte has a refreshed outlook for when swimming events begin on July 28.

Despite his shortened training schedule, the 28-year-old pulled off an impressive double to claim U.S. national championships on June 26 in the 200-meter freestyle and 200 backstroke. He qualified for three other events at worlds, including the 100 butterfly, 200 individual medley and the 4x100 free relay.

“I wasn't planning on making worlds in that many events, but I'm a racer,” Lochte said. “There's no two ways about it. When I get on those blocks, I race and that's what I know how to do the best.”

Joining Lochte in Spain is current Gators junior Elizabeth Beisel, who qualified for both the 200 IM and 400 IM at the world championships.

The pair has trained together since Lochte's reemergence this summer under Florida coach Gregg Troy with the Gator Swim Club.

“Ryan is a different creature,” Beisel said. “I don't know how he does it, what he puts his body through. Florida is known as one of the hardest working programs. We pound the yardage and do all these extra things outside the pool and he's been doing that for 12 years now. I've been doing it for three, and I'm like, ‘I don't know if I can last another three.'”

While Troy has worked with Lochte since his freshman season in 2002, the 13-year UF coach suggested his long-time protégé should train abroad leading up to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“Gainesville's a small town,” Troy said. “He's 28 years old, and he can't go anywhere without someone knowing who he is and doing anything. So I think it growth situation for him.”

Lochte will turn 32 two days before the opening ceremony in Brazil and has the chance to become just the 14th swimmer in Olympic history to win an individual medal after 30.

With Lochte unsure whether his show titled, “What Would Ryan Lochte Do?” will return for a second season, the real question going forward is where he will decide to live when the world championships end on Aug. 4.

“We've talked about different places where I can train, looking at the same kind of training that I would get here and just be in a different atmosphere,” Lochte said.

“He's talked about going to China, he's talked about going to Japan, Australia, Canada, just outside the U.S. Doing something different and getting away from pretty much everything and just train.”

 

WATCH SWIMMING GREATS DO STARTS AND TURNS: SANTA CLARA GRAND PRIX - SLOW MOTION VIDEO (SwimSwam)

June 11, 2013

BY THE LUNDIE BROTHERS

See if you can find your favorite swimmer. Matt Grevers, Missy Franklin, Ryan Lochte and more are all in this swimming video.

 

SIX-BEAT KICKING A DISTANCE RACE (USA Swimming)

May 25, 2013

BY RUSSELL MARK (HIGH PERFORMANCE CONSULTANT)

It’s pretty clear that the trend in distance races is to six-beat kick the whole race. The evidence is strong: All six medalists in the distance races at the 2012 Olympics – 800 free (Ledecky, Belmonte, Adlington) and 1500 free (Sun, Cochrane, Mellouli) Five of eight finalists in both the 800 and 1500 at the 2012 Olympic Trials Grant Hackett’s 10-year World Record 14:34 at 2001 World Championships

The old two-beat kicking trend might have been related to high tempo freestyles and enduring the large training volume of the 70’s and 80’s. The current trend of six-beat kicking can translate down to a good 400 and 200. In other words, SPEED, which is absolutely essential to a competitive 800 and 1500 now.

USE YOUR LEGS

Six-beat kick means you use your legs from start to finish. There are six kicks for every two arm strokes (1 cycle). The legs do not drag behind.

Note: The intensity of a six-beat kick depends on tempo. Sun Yang, for example. For example, for the first 1400m of Sun Yang’s 1500, his tempo is a slow 1.9 seconds per cycle, and six kicks in that time is pretty chill. On the last 50, his tempo is 1.4 seconds per cycle, so the six kicks are quicker and stronger.

DON'T “SAVE THE LEGS”

Kicking a distance race can definitely be trained, and shouldn’t be feared to conserve energy. A ferocious kick for an 800 or 1500 isn’t necessary. The kick just needs to be steady. There are certainly differences, but so many people train to run four-hour marathons, so training to kick for 10-15 minutes of swimming is very reasonable.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS BLACK & WHITE

There have been – and still are – successful distance swimmers that use a two-beat or four-beat kick. Kieren Perkins, the great Australian distance swimmer, switched between two-beat and six-beat kicks within each 50. Also, many swimmers do not maintain a consistent kick when they breathe and this technique flaw should be worked on.

IF IT'S NOT IN THE TOOLBOX, IT'S NOT A TOOL YOU CAN USE

A swimmer needs to have this ability, whether they use it for the duration or just at the end. Learn proper kick technique and how to six-beat kick while swimming. At older ages, it’s a difficult skill to acquire and also harder to correct flaws like a cross-over kick.