Subject: RE: 'sculling' motion in crawl stroke I find that the "S" motion is actually the view of the hand seen from the perspective of a swimmer who is pulling in a "straight line" to an outside observer (at the bottom of the pool), while the swimmer rotates their torso, shoulders, and hips. Whether a pull is "straight" or "bent" depends on the position of the observer relative to the motion. I tell my swimmers to pull (with elbows at 90 degrees and elbow tip to elbow tip at 180 degrees when seen from above) along the center of balance as it moves with their body rotation. That generally feels like a straight line to the swimmer, but can look like an "S" shape with the top slightly cut off to an observer on the deck. I can't see the video posted, but that's how I've seen Phelps swim in person at practices, and that's how I've witnessed most (but not all of) my fastest swimmers, and that's how I swim when I go my fastest as well. That doesn't work for absolutely everyone, but that does work for most everyone that I see in the water. |