Melbourne Vicentre Swimming Club Head Coach,
Olympic and National Team Coach for Australia; has coached a Gold Medalist in every World Championships since 1998 to 2009 ( 6 consecutive World championships).
This is one of the most uniquely informative freestyle technique DVDs that has ever been produced.
Ian Pope dedicates this presentation to comparing and contrasting the technical nuances of the distance freestyle of three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Grant Hackett to that of Australian sprinter Matt Targett, a 2008 Olympic medalist and NCAA champion at Auburn. Both of these greats swam under Pope.
Pope's nine-part instruction focuses on:
- Body Alignment - Learn the ideal body positions for overall freestyle success, which includes etching the most efficient body "line" possible. To train this ideal position, Pope includes drills for both the sprint and distance events.
- Kick - Pope compares and contrasts the powerful sprint kick that Targett incorporates to that of the 2-beat and sometime 4-beat kick that Hackett uses to maximize energy output in the distance events. Pope also touches on the need for the distance swimmer to finish with an aggressive 6-beat kick.
- Contrasting Sprint and Distance Arm Strokes - Take a critical look at the more open recovery that many sprinters like Targett have implemented into their strokes. He compares this technique to the traditional lower high elbow and relaxed recovery of Grant Hackett.
- Stroke Timing Differences - Pope shows each swimmer's ability to hold pressure on the water while each uses different timing in the stroke to achieve maximum efficiency for their respective events.
- Drills to Improve Freestylers - Learn 10 drills you can use to teach a powerful and efficient freestyle stroke.
- Breathing Timing - Pope breaks down the essentials to breathing at the most ideal time in the arm cycle, while maintaining technical efficiency.
- Starts - Every phase of a great freestyle start is included: block foot position, block balance, preferred hand position and grip, what the hands and arms do, what the feet and legs do and how to attain maximum drive off of the block into a great breakout. Get relay change over instruction that shows two different styles of the relay take offs.
- Turns - Pope demonstrates his proven 4-step sequence for teaching a great freestyle turn. Included is the approach into the wall, the planting of the feet, the push off and streamline off of the wall. He then shows the breakout and breakout stroke.
As an added bonus, Pope works with a small group of young swimmers to demonstrate several drills in skill areas that pose the greatest coaching challenges.
Order now and start putting Pope's experience, success and wisdom to work for your team!
50 minutes. 2011.
The unique achievement of Australian world championship Coach Ian Pope in his Championship Productions swimming instruction video is to acknowledge and highlight the differences between sprint freestyle technique and championship form in distance swimming. In this amazing video, Pope utilizes two of the great swimmers from Down Under: distance champion and multiple record setter Grant Hackett and sprint champion Matt Targett. Pope highlights the differences in body alignment, kick, arm recovery, high elbow, glide, stroke timing and breathing patterns that are unique to fast swimming at the different distances. Both the underwater and above water videos clearly show what coach Pope is explaining - and in a way that coaches and swimmers watching this video can understand and apply in the pool. To assist the coach and swimmer he also includes 10 drills that sensitize the swimmer to maintaining correct body alignment and stroke mechanics. This is the only video available that differentiates the different techniques and explains why a sprint style stroke will result in a fatigued swimmer in a longer race and why a distance stroke cannot generate sufficient power to win in the shorter sprints. Most American college and high school coaches focus on sprint technique almost exclusively because meets are in a short course pool and have so many freestyle sprint events. Coach Pope has coached many world class long course distance swimmers and is clear that there is a difference in techniques. This is a great swimming instructional video that can lead to faster swimming for both freestyle sprinters as well as the middle distance and long distance swimmers in your program.
Roy Pinchot,
Previously, Captain, Northwestern Swimming;
Currently, Germantown Masters Swim Team, Maryland
MD-03764B: with Ian Pope,
Melbourne Vicentre Swimming Club Head Coach,
Olympic and National Team Coach for Australia; has coached a Gold Medalist in every World Championships since 1998 to 2009 ( 6 consecutive World championships).
Ian Pope shares the key fundamentals he's used in developing legendary Australian Olympic backstroker Matt Welsh and many other world class Australian backstrokers.
Pope's teaching progression includes:
- Body Line: Enable your swimmers to swim tall in the water by teaching them to align their body in the least resistive position possible. Pope connects this body position to the arm cycle demonstrating how to maintain a favorable body position through the arm action with a good catch and body rotation.
- Backstroke Kick: Learn detailed mechanics of good kicking including both the upward and downward motion of the flutter kick. Pope also demonstrates three activities for developing speed and power in the kick.
- Arm Action: Train your swimmers to enter and catch in the "power zone!" Pope demonstrates a series of drills that connect proper body line, recovery, catch, and press-through with proper rotation to assist in helping the swimmer groove a feel for the full stroke.
- Breathing & Stroke Efficiency: Pope discusses the importance of stroke count to assist the swimmer in generating maximum efficiency and includes tips for developing, training and utilizing the underwater kick as a weapon for successful racing.
- Backstroke Starts & Turns: See all aspects of great starts and turns including: The block set up, body motion, clean entry into the water, a simple, efficient turn sequence and more.
- Underwater Fly Kick: Learn a whole body undulation on the fly kick, along with tips on the technical aspects of applying pressure on both the down and up kick actions of the fly kick.
- Breakouts: Pope shows how to transition from the fly kick into the breakout stroke with an emphasis on timing of the first and second strokes off of a start or turn.
- Finishes: Achieve the proper line for a fast and effective finish!
In addition, Pope takes a group of younger swimmers through a series of drills to teach all critical elements of the stroke. As Pope coaches these young swimmers, you will gain insight and ideas on how you can improve your young swimmers.
This presentation gives you the key components of backstroke, along with the tips and drills to assist your swimmers in grooving a great feel for the stroke!
50 minutes. 2011.
MD-03764C: with Ian Pope,
Melbourne Vicentre Swimming Club Head Coach,
Olympic and National Team Coach for Australia; has coached a Gold Medalist in every World Championships since 1998 to 2009 ( 6 consecutive World championships).
World renowned swim coach Ian Pope presents the technique, drills and skills he uses to train world class swimmers. Pope acknowledges that this stroke is perhaps the most difficult to coach as the key to success hinges upon great timing and good technique.
Pope starts his breaststroke analysis by showing how to attain the proper body balance to produce a forward-focused stroke. From the streamlined body position, he details the arm action sequence that is necessary to anchor with the hands and arms that allows for the connection from the core through the body. Pope presents the concept of driving the core to the hands from the anchor position on the insweep before releasing the hands into the stroke recovery.
Pope next dissects the hand, head and body connection that allows the swimmer to drive forward on a straight line back into the base starting position of the stroke. This stroke analysis provides the base for the drills that train each aspect of the stroke.
Pope then takes you through a detailed seven-part demonstration of the breaststroke:
- Arm Action Drills: Get a 10-drill progression for the arm action of the breaststroke that will assist your swimmers in developing a better feel for the stroke.
- Kicking: Pope provides an on-deck demonstration of the key components of the breaststroke kick, showing how to maximize power in the movement. He demonstrates 13 drills to train and enhance the kick.
- Timing: Pope shares strategies to enhance flow and length of the stroke.
- Starts: Learn the mechanics of the block start along with the nuances for the breaststroke-specific start.
- Underwater Pullout: Maximize your power and distance of off of starts and turns.
- Turns: See a three-drill progression to teach the breaststroke turn. These drills reinforce a tight, tuck-fast spin incorporating quick hand action. All essential skills for a fast breaststroke turn.
- Finishes: Pope teaches the techniques for a favorable finish position.
- Speed Development: Pope shares techniques he uses to train breaststroke speed before reviewing all aspects of the full stroke.
Pope concludes the DVD by going on deck with a group of young swimmers to show how he approaches teaching breaststroke to age groupers. This segment offers a great look at implementing drills and techniques to effectively teach and coach less experienced swimmers.
Ian Pope has coached world class swimmers such as Marieke Guerher, Michael Klim, Matt Welsh, Grant Hackett, and Matt Targett. Now you can bring Pope's proven techniques to your pool!
47 minutes. 2011.
MD-03764D: with Ian Pope,
Melbourne Vicentre Swimming Club Head Coach,
Olympic and National Team Coach for Australia; has coached a Gold Medalist in every World Championships since 1998 to 2009 ( 6 consecutive World championships).
In this presentation from Australia's Melbourne Vicentre Swimming Club, head coach Ian Pope shares the technical skill set for swimming incredible butterfly.
This seven-part presentation begins with a breakdown of the whole butterfly stroke. Pope starts with the exit of the hands into recovery discussing the arm action of the recovery in relation to the body and head position. He then discusses the catch or anchor position, offering tips for getting the hands and elbows into the ideal "power position" to shift the body to come up and over the arm stroke.
Pope details the technical differences in the arm action of sprint butterflyers vs that of the 200 flyer and includes the kick differences of sprint fly and distance fly. Learn the proper body positioning for each phase of the stroke that separate the best butterflyers from the pack. Pope also details the similarities of the hand in-sweep position under the body with his world class flyers.
The DVD also features:
- Arm Movement - Pope teaches two drills that focus on the arm movement coordinating with good body position and anchoring with a good high elbow catch.
- Rhythm and Timing - Learn the key elements to attain ideal timing. Pope feels the key to proper timing is in the connection of the hips to the catch position and the hip position on the exit of the stroke, while all the time focusing on a tight, forward focused undulation on the water.
- Butterfly Start - Pope presents the forward start skill set and connects it to a butterfly breakout. This segment includes block positioning of the feet, legs, hands and arms and instruction on generating maximum power off of the blocks and carrying that speed into the water for a great streamline and breakout.
- Turns and Breakouts - Discover four turn drills you can use to train a tight and fast turn into the breakout. Learn strategies for the fly breakout and specifics on when to begin the dolphin kick off of the wall.
- Breathing and Breathing Patterns - Pope offers breathing pattern strategies for the 50, 100 and 200 races. Learn five drills to incorporate the breath with the timing of the stroke
- Coaching Young Butterflyers - Pope takes a small group of younger swimmers through a stroke progression, complete with drills to teach all of the key fundamentals of efficient butterfly. Throughout this segment, Pope offers invaluable tips for teaching and coaching the butterfly more effectively with your younger swimmers.
Demonstrations for this DVD are provided by Marieke Guerher (2009 World Champion Butterlfy and former short course world record holder in the butterfly).
Pope has also coached Australian greats such as Michael Klim, Matt Welsh, Grant Hackett, and Matt Targett.
Get proven, time-tested techniques from Ian Pope!
40 minutes. 2011.