How to Swim Faster Freestyle: A study of the freestyle stroke

[miemullins1025]

Your video is popular on Greece

[FruitarianSwimster]

Sounds like the Itzhak Perlman version of the peice, goes nicely with your great explanations!

[hamelyn06]

Flippers for feet also help

[phus2001]

What piece is this the music is amazing!

[73mattemattematte]

Nuotatore incredibile, mai visto niente di simile. Vai Ian

[muncherareyouserious]

Can't stand the MUSIC !

Way to fast and whinny for swimming

[ruslidmit]

I WILL NEVER SWIM AGAIN

[MegaBoudraa]

la natation c le meilleur sport qui existe ....c domage que je vie a oran (algerie)..putin je ne peu pas croire qui il ya qu'un seul basin dans tout la ville....vraiment les responssable en algerie sont des conards ...c un crime contre le sport ...oui une ci grande ville comme oran avec un seul bassin........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GIMGIMG]

EVERY BODY SAYS HOW PEOPLE SHOULD SWIM FREESTYLE, LIKE THIS GUY WHO APEARS AT LAST THAT TRIES TO DO THIS ONDULATED RITM OF IAN BUT HE EXAGERATS THE MOVES

[ritesh25arch]

go and ..........

[jarrodsnell1994]

Shoulda chosen some more annoying music

[sujaysukumar123]

muzic is good :)

[danitza83]

haha this prelude 4 and freestyle swimming are the two things that i've been practicing all my life !!! how did you get the idea of putting this piece of bach with this video? im not complaining.....

[chilakyle218]

lol, the guy at 4:07 is dropping his elbows like no other, the swimming is not good not good at all.

[MrMatt5885]

inward sweep in freestyle. i think thats why theres soo many lig tears of the shoulder (in girls more so) doing butterfly. You have any breastroke technique videos.

[mrgoki27]

who is the guy from the 4:07!? i dont understand why u put him in this video? i dont want to be rude but in comparing to ian he looks like hes drowning. so just wandering what u wanned to show with that?

[jshaules]

@mrgoki27 He is just a novice trying to get the same style as Ian. It is clear that Ian is way, way better. Better than almost everyone in the world, in fact.

[bradley8080]

@mrgoki27 Couldn't agree more. Thorpe, Hackett, Thorpe, drowning. What's with the head bounce and huge 2-beat kick? That guy would learn more from watching videos of himself and removing some basic errors, than by adding another point of complexity to an already over-thought stroke.

[lanciauxrayz]

nice baroque

[TomSouthLondon]

he truly is a great aquatic ape!

[Rexshine]

TOO SLOW, TOO FAR

[supertaz4eva]

hes not kcking under water and ur supposed 2 kick under water

[xxxChriChrixxx]

@supertaz4eva I've always learnd to kick on top of the water.

[aSWF2go]

It's hard to confirm in this video that Ian advances on the non-breathing side more than the other. It appears that way. If so, it's prolly why coaches want a balanced stroke. PHELPS is even more noticeable w/ loping style. He sure is fast though

[aSWF2go]

Great hi elbow video! Notice too Ian’s left hand entry 1:15, 1:45, 2:22 His Left arm is out front b4 the Rt arm pull thus taking advantage of all the pull. In contrast 2:06, 2:42 show catch & pull of left arm already @ sternum or lower when Rt enters & extends. When breathing on rt side the same is true. Left arm catch is barely set when Rt enters. 2:48, 3:02 vs 3:10, 3:23 where Rt arm is @ sternum It seems Ian is in a more streamlined position & advances more from pull on non-breathing side.

[kpxflameboy]

What Music?!?!?! I didnt hear anything from 0:00 to 4:45!!!!!

[LaGroveOwner]

And his feet is sized 20, hands twice the size as mine.

[pauline4261]

Cover your mouth with you hand

2. Make a wish

3.Close your hand (fist)

4. Hold you hand at heart for 5 seconds

5. Send this to 3 more videos

6. Tommorrow will be the best day ever

[scrumpymanjack]

In the part round about 1.20 it looks like his left arm is entering the water while his right arm is still fairly extended ie. before the big pull happens. But his right arm enters the water when his left arm is already in the pull phase. Is this an optical illusion or does his timing on each side really vary that much? Sorry for this probably basic and even stupid question, but I'm not a swimmer.

[phoca99]

@scrumpymanjack You are correct. Very observant of you. Many swimmers have an uneven stroke rhythm. It seems especially common among swimmers who do a lot of butterfly. Most coaches would like strokes to be balanced and even side to side, but the reality is almost no one really swims that way, even at the top levels. Check out "Faster Freestyle by Reducing Drag" also by Jshaules to see some of the problems with being unbalanced.

[wassuppaska]

I'm not kidding people, if someone doesn't tell me what the name of the music is, I might do some crazy things and you will all be responsible!!

[KaksinMilan]

BEAUTY!

[1zalophus]

I found this helpful to study in slow motion. Then I looked at your other video about "decreasing drag". WOW, that one was really good. I do triathlons and the decreasing drag video really made sense. Thanks for posting these. I am subscribing.

[26554616]

i love to swim :)

[jslovers]

Whose version of this Bach's Sonata you have here? It's so beautiful and surprisingly, go hand in hand with Ian and water so well. Great job!

[macieksikora]

thanks for uploading it. What a lovely sight. Such a beautiful swimmer!!!

[wassuppaska]

Could somebody PLEASE tell me the name of the music? It's driving me crazy not knowing it!!!

[secretazn69]

@wassuppaska check previous posts

[jshaules]

Hi. The music is Bach's Sonata #2 in A Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1003: 4th movement

[dmdml]

@jshaules Hello, did you remove the music? I don't hear any sound whatsoever. :(

[monkeymakr1]

@wassuppaska music doesnt matter its a pleasure that is absoultly useless

[kjlkjlkjlkl]

Can somebody tell me please the name of the piece of music, thanks!

[jshaules]

Hi. The music is Bach's Sonata #2 in A Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1003: 4th movement, Allegro

[iRoCkhowarxD]

god damn i love the music

[jshaules]

Hi. The music is Bach's Sonata #2 in A Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1003: 4th movement

[DHRDM]

Can somebody tell me please the name of the piece of music, thanks!

[jshaules]

Hi. The music is Bach's Sonata #2 in A Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1003: 4th movement

[kasim1k]

hi guys

can anyone tell me, wat are benefits of swimming underwater? for long distances?

[redetrigan]

I like the music choice!

[jshaules]

Hi. The music is Bach's Sonata #2 in A Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1003: 4th movement

[BliindSniip3R]

aqua man is better.

[1zalophus]

Your other video "Faster Freestyle by Reducing Drag" was really helpful, so I thought I would look at this one too. Interesting study of Ian.

[mistertoudi]

at the last seconds it's evidently NO Ian Thorpe: this guy strokes with the fingers too far away from each other!

[phoca99]

I just found your new video on faster freestyle by reducing drag. I thought it was very interesting. I hadn't really thought too much about drag before. I realize no one else really mentions drag directly like that. I'm anxious to try out your tips. Also, though a bit goofy, I liked the hats.

[Thegoodshit1]

phelps is better

[Peekingduck]

Thanks, this is quite helpful.

[gom1206]

its a racing swimsiut.... like a high technology one ;)

[TracyMacToDaRack]

Someone plz help. When they say inward stroke what does that mean?

[TN922]

It means your arm should not windmill in circular rotation at the shoulder. That's very tiring for the shoulder. Instead, from the extended arm position, first bend your forearm 90 degree to point your fingers at the bottom of the pool, then just close your armpit in a motion parallel to the horizontal plane of your body. This armpit closing motion uses your back and chest muscles which are very strong. This motion pulls the elbow "inward" towards the body as you close your armpit.

[TracyMacToDaRack]

thanks so much mate, i'll have to try that tomorrow when i swim. no one ever explained it like "closing the armpit" but that makes sense. My arms always get so tired and my back and chest muscles never seem to get involved.

[TN922]

The other very important part of the freestyle is front quadrant swimming. Always keep one arm extended out front while the other completes its recovery. It's almost like swimming w/ one arm at a time while the other rests out front. This keeps your body horizontal to reduce drag. Watch Thorpe closely, always one arm in front. Have fun!

[HungAzn]

Hey just wondering, what league do you swim in (or group/age group)?

[TN922]

I'm a recreational swimmer in my 30's. I'm really more interested in efficiency techniques than competitive swimming.

[rekycheky]

I hate competitions. I also just want to swim efficient and of course with style and fast.

[fintanb]

Thanks for the question and reply / explanation. I been going like a windmill since I started swimming.

[TN922]

How long have you been swimming? I see that you have taken to Total Immersion swimming. It's the best instructions I've found too, very efficient technique.

[fintanb]

I'm in my 30's as well and I'm self taught with no technique. When my 5 yr old started to pass me out in swimming I decided it was time to get back in the water and learn a technique. Have started an improver course in my local gym but we seem to just swim up and down the pool.

TI seems quite good especially with the different drills that you can practice. My biggest problem is getting to move with just kicking, I can't seem to get it. Have you come across any good videos for just kicking?

[rekycheky]

Yep, I noticed today while crawling that it is very important to complete your stroke correctly before starting a new one. I mean that you actually push the water away at the last bit of your stroke and not take the arm out too soon. This gave me a better position in the water and therefor I was floating better. That muscle at the back of your arm gets used which is for me a new experience.

[HungAzn]

the tricep...?

yeah you want to make sure you are rolling side to side as it helps you get the longest stroke and best body position.

[holyhermit1]

wrong. that last "bit" is wasted movement. if you dont believe me, go to Auburn swim camp and learn from cesear ciello.

[wwerocks081]

like pulling your self in a rope

[gkj35]

i think it means that the palm of the hand goes in under the chest then out and round for another revolution rather than the side of the chest

[HungAzn]

don't purposely put the hand under your chest as that will cross your arm over more than it should. it'll naturally happen a little.

[phoca99]

An inward stroke means from the glide position, arm and shoulder outstretched toward the far wall, in front of the shoulder, the first movement of the hand and then forearm are toward the centerline of the body, rather than downward (which is what most people do). Like pulling yourself up a rope, only in swimming you need to use the whole fore-arm along with the hand to grip the water. In this video you can see Thorpe's elbow bent at about 90 degrees as he pulls past the water.

[jungweizer]

You don't want to pull directly inward once hand is extended. I think its meaning the hand is positioned slightly inward (very slightly should be almost flat or neutral), but the motion is downard with the forearm and arm anchoring in front of the body.Not bending the either. I'm not quite sure, but im also looking for answers on better freestyle technique.

[EffortlessSwimming]

Thanks great video! For more freestyle videos check out our Youtube channel.

[zeppelinled92]

the guy at the end moves his head way too much

[kazdin123]

wow

[angel01103]

i hav a question. my coach always tell us 2 hav our elbows down and i dont get y the elbows hav 2 b down?

[billysue2]

elbows should be high at the catch,at what point is your coach telling you to have them down?

[Kemenyan73]

The guy at the end is doing the opposite to this clip is preaching ..shame on you DRUNKEN male dolphin reincarnation haha

[Equelsor]

lol !

[chandlerbingbong]

heh heh. the guy at the end makes ME look good.

[nathan912645]

whoever was swimming at the end of the video...

tisk tisk

your fingers should be shut together and your kicking should be non-stop

your video only points out the basics of swimming that every good swimmer should know..

personally

I haven't learned a thing from your "Study"

[SUNNYD3322]

Fantastic Thorpe.

[cambrasmacho]

he's double jointed, very weird

[jungweizer]

why does the vid suggest we rock/rotate as little as possible? I thought arm extension and power comes from body rotation? im confused.

[pretexter]

good question. Look at how close his right hand comes to his torso, because he rotates so much. I would disregard the comments and watch for yourself. Tons of Thorpe video out there. Amazing swimmer.

[MatthewMershon]

@jungweizer The reason it says that, is because there is a difference. Yes you rotate your body, but only your upper body. You have a waist, it's designed for you to turn without taking your legs with you. You need to do this in the water. Your uper body will turn, but keep your legs straight, so they have continual power and force from the water. The uper body turns so you can extend your reach and pivot your shoulders. Your core muscles are the most important for the forward crawl.

[bojast]

@jungweizer. the video is incorrect about that. you DO want to roll and rotate as much as possible. :)

[chilakyle218]

@jungweizer I don't think this guy knows what he is talking about, he showed us a vid of a guy that cant swim and was trying to compare it to ian. i bet you that guys best time in the 200 meter free is barely under 2 15, thats if he ever swam the event, doesnt look like a real swimmer to me. looks like a triathlete

[jmilla321]

@jungweizer novice swimmers usually dont rotate their shoulders enough so the general rule of thumb is to encourage as much shoulder role as possible but in more recent years elite level athletes have gone towarsds less shoulder roll in free and back because it increases turnover, while allowing you to swim higher in the water and at a slight incline

[anglersohn]

Great video, great advices...thank you a lot. But What is that dude in the end ofthe vid doing? his ellbow is almost touching the poolground, and his head is moving all the time... is it an exercise?

[pretexter]

The sound fits the end part's weirdness. Such excessive body movement. Talk about all over the place.

[KX9N]

ian thorpe of one of the greatest swimmers ever

[pretexter]

No question! He is the bomb. It's the guy at the end that is NOT thorpe that should be wiped off the video. he's a sloppy mess.

[coachjwilliams]

I agree. Head all over the place! Roll with hips and shoulders.

[leonthetiger]

lol "although no Ian Thorpe" nice vid

[hydrolist1]

ffs add text that people can ready clearly.

[arroy624]

i am also an inward sweeper... but i would say that ian thorpe's sweep is about 10% away from full completion. the last part of the sweep should be a full speed push instead of a swing away from body...

[brnazari17]

nice vid

[giorgiobello1]

Amazing video, very helpful and clear. I've been trying to use these tips over the last weeks and I got much faster!

the last part of the video shows a man rolling and sinking, doesn't it?

question: shall my fingers touch one another or its best to keep the distanced?

thanks for posting

[andresrojas22]

they must touch each other including the thumb, its like a paddle, the more area it presents to the water the more water it will pull

[anglersohn]

let phelps give you the answer. watch:

Michael phelps and chris tompson freestyle stroke

this vid is marvellous. relax your hand, and let the swirls move your fingers...it feels so funny and gives you grip to pull. try it, torpedo...

[njolly99]

that end section sucked. Matey has jack all power.

[amerikanerMarinen]

i read the thing bout not rocking or rotating, that is what spitz done and look where it got him.

[l3tt3rs4ndnumb3rs]

sorry, I can't watch videos without audio on youtube. It's just unnatural.

[mile13eve]

...then turn up the volume!

[gogogoup]

what do they mean by inward sweep?

[jshaules]

Inward sweep refers to the motion of the forearm moving from in front of your shoulder inwards in a hooking action as opposed to downwards in a windmill fashion. Landing your hand on the body center line you can only move your hand across your body to the opposing shoulder where you have little strength.The main purpose of moving inwards rather than downwards is the it is easier to use the forearm to catch water rather than just the hand. Moving arm downwards does not pull your body forward.

[gogogoup]

ic thanks

[pianogirlrocks123]

PLEASE DONT READ THIS. YOU WILL GET KISSED ON THE NEAREST POSSIBLE FRIDAY BY THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE. TOMORROW WILL BE THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE. HOWEVER IF YOU DONT POST THIS COMMENT TO AT LEAST 3 VIDEOS YOU WILL DIE WITHIN 2 DAYS. NOW UV STARTED READIN DIS DUNT STOP THIS IS SO SCARY. SEND THIS OVER TO 5 VIDEOS IN 143 MINUTES WHEN UR DONE PRESS F6 AND UR CRUSHES NAME WILL APPEAR ON THE SCREEN IN BIG LETTERS. THIS IS SO SCARY BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY WORKs

[westogmoney]

what the hell was that about in the end...

[kobac]

low elbow is obvious at the guy, from the end of the clip, swim

totally wrong, but great part of clip concerning Ian

[kkiu56566]

just paste that in Google,can't post the link

[kkiu56566]

0rXwCcbgkSs

[kkiu56566]

watch?v=0rXwCcbgkSs

[kkiu56566]

A Motion analysis like this one

could possible help more, I fail to understand at the moment, maybe you and the guy that made that video could come up with something better.

[Bihabitus]

From 2:45 the swimmer in the lane to the left of Ian Thorpe has a very different stroke. He digs deeper and windmills more. Ian's body extension is truly amazing.

[phoca99]

Interesting observation. Notice that at about 3:00 Thorpe and the swimmer to his left enter their left arm at the same time, but by the next stroke the other swimmer is already sweeping down while Thorpe is still extending forward. Long stroke!