The Analysis Of Sun Yang 

Thanks Brenton. Sun Yang is my "virtual mentor" along with Katy Ledecky and Ian Thorpe. Yes I remember the performance enhancing scandal. That still doesn't take away from his technique. This guy has phenomenal technique. Aspiring to his style is perfect for mental focus, and then just like handwriting, we gain development of our own unique style and peculiarities. Sun Yang is text book for starting to professional swimming, with our own habits layered over his. Thanks Brenton ...

Also importantly for a distance swimmer, Sun Yang's breathing pattern maximizes blowing off carbon dioxide in addition to taking in oxygen.

This is the greatest high elbow catch of all time.

his high elbow is just amazing

I have been obsessed with Sun Yang since 2012. Thanks, Brenton for doing this analysis. So COOL!

The kick timing is something that I've found incredibly important. My theory on it is that the legs are always going to want to drop, and them being down is where they want to be if you didn't kick. Just before the downkick, you're at your lowest point in the water and sinking. Then when you fire it, you raise your hips and legs back up towards the surface and that puts more weight onto the catch. Sort of like a seesaw through the core/chest (since we're submerged, the buoyant chest will act as the anchor point of a seesaw), when the hips rise, the shoulders to go down and you'd then get more leverage onto that catch so you have something to pull against.

I could watch him swim all day. Thank you.

The best swimming analysis ever! Thank You

To me, Sun Yang swims like a whale. Powerful, elegant and deceivingly fast

Thanks for this analysis. I wish I'd seen it 8 months ago as a returning to the pool triathlete after 10 years out of the water! This has the entire stroke captured in one video. Spread fingers on entry, removes more bubbles from hand and helps knock bubbles off arm, my coach always told me off for that! It just seemed natural and helped my balance stopping my had slipping either side of train track. The other confirmation for me was the 4 beat kick timing. Yes, yes, yes. Now I get it that I am doing it right. I've never heard this before. 1 balance kick one one side, glide, then 3 kicks on other side. I've always done this but thought it was wrong. In addition to your awesome catch videos I paid for and was the best $10 I've ever spent, ever, I now have the tools of a perfect stroke. Now it's just time in the water. You have no idea how brilliant this was for me. Confirmed I'm doing it right and now I can focus on swimming and not thinking others are faster because of my poorer technique. Thank you so very much. Your videos and analysis are what every swimmer must just watch to become the best they can. Thank you again, brilliant.

Thank you, that was great break down. When I get out of the wall I often feel out of breath, sure I need to improve my lung capacity but the 1-per-stroke I'll definitely give it a try.

Catchup drill + kick rotation perfection by Sun Yang - fastest of all time!

Well done for the work you put in this video. Very detailed analysis. Must have taken ages. I could watch these long distance swimmers all day specially the ones that look so smooth and relaxing like Ian Thorpe.

All things apart, he really is a good swimmer .

Thank you for this analysis!

Thanks for the analysis. Sun is one of the best distance swimmers and almost everything is perfect! Just genius!

Fascinating video. Whatever else one has to say about this swimmer and his medals this is a very good freestyle stroke and much can be learned from it. Three things I would mention, the left hand and arm do tend to "plane" a little after entry which will increase resistance, the head position looks a little high when breathing, resistance again, and the leg bend could be reduced a little. The amount of leg bend may be related to the head position when breathing and also to the left arm position after entry. However I know from experience how hard it is to get these things right when you're in the water. If I swim again I shall be working on stroke technique above all else

Great video, thank you! I also do one breath per stroke before and after turns, and always thought it's an indicator of bad hypoxia tolerance. Maybe it is, but I'm so relieved to see elite swimmers doing the same.

Florian Wellbrock‘s stroke ist pretty decent

Thanks Brenton that was super helpful, what a beautiful almost graceful swim ... not making fun of guy it just looked effortless! Haha pun not intended . Thanks anyways

I'm french and in France Camille Muffat was the definition of the perfect stroke and smoothness. She swam with a maximal extension of the arm and took the time to bring it forward. Interesting to see and analyse. She and Sun have a very similar technique, she pushed it to the maximum

i could watch all the time Thorpe 💕

Next Katie Ledecky please.

I thought you might have commented on how he slightly twist his hand so his thumb is up after entry. Any comment on that?

Is there a drill to practice the kick and catch timing?

Thanks

Thanks for great video. My question is : 04.15 in the video would'nt be more area for both hand to push back if we finish our strokes with straight arms? Why little bend is should be done

Why not in open water do you say that’s not advisable? Thank you

I especially like what you say "you wouldn't necessarly recommand to breathe at each stroke"... But you would recommand everybody to try "to find his own best style !" Personnaly, I do that, and I even come back to the surface "on a back stroke"... It allows to swim under water in the best position (back and profile, to use a dolphin propulsion), and, moreover, to have a good vision in 3D (up to the roof and the surface), which allows you to keep the optimal direction underwater (straight forward, in 3D) (It is effortless, and my lungs are full of oxygen, they act like buoys !!!)... Last but not least, your video shows it clearly at 20'12' up to 20'22", Sun Yang use a kind of "yaw motion", while his body is bended, in profile ! I had noticed that, but your video catches it with a remarkable acuity, because, of course, that "yaw motion" shouldn't be applied to an horizontal plan !!!. It becomes particularly efficient while Sun Yang turns his head, and body, to catch his breathe at the surface. Following me, that very specific "yaw motion" should be pointed out, and explained, because, as most of Sun Yang's specificities, it needs to be well understood. It would particularly hurt, if you did it in the wrong way !!! But, when you think of the perfect stroke, you immediatly come to Sun Yang ! Let's definitly, point out the name of that stroke: FREE STYLE TECHNIQUES !!!! Let's give it its sense, let's use it !

The video is paused at 20:30 to emphasize the relationship of the kick to the catch. But what seems even more striking is that BOTH arms are simultaneously into the 'Catch' phase. Sun's front quadrant swimming style seems almost like a catch-up drill

Breaking the patterns to tune with personal strengths!

how about his hips going nearly vertical on the breathing stroke ? is that good ?

I have a question, if someone can answer. Before exiting, should the elbow pop out of the water, and then the elbow straightens slightly back in the water and then elbow again exits first along with hand? Is this better or we keep the elbow in the water and then exit with elbow and hand?

From SunYang body position , I guess his style mainly customise to his stroke and kick where his kick and his legs stretching not reach ballerina so I guess his core of body has been adjusted and customised to his kick and stroke technique

Thanks for the analysis! Question on the kicking, do you think his knee bent a bit too much?

Next Ian Thorpe pliiis

Thanks for this, Brenton! Are you allowed to swim already in Australia?

Greg ❤❤❤

Stroke goals

How much would you say height matters in swimming?

Nice analysis of his breathing into and out of the turns. Too many coaches tell swimmers to breathe less there for a minimal-nonexistent benefit.

this is how I swim in my head.

Sun Yang no doubt is one of the most talented swimmers. He also worked so hard to achieve his successes. Many western swimmers simply can't accept Sun Yang's success. It's sad to see people set Sun Yang up. Oh well, no matter what, Sun Yang is always being welcomed at his home country - China. It's great to see this video and thanks for sharing his techniques!

Just one word about Sun Yang : CONNECTION

Sun Yang vs Yanick Agnel in 200m free final at 2012 Olympic : two tall swimmers with long stroke and nice high elbow arm recovery.

I am just a beginner, and found if I stick to a 3 strokes per breath, at some point, i will sometimes need to do a few 2 stroke breaths when I do a faster lap. So, I think your video also shows that sun yang doesnt really have a set breathing pattern 100% of the time. Could you do some videos on changing your breathing pattern whilst swimming long distance. From 1km, to 3km. thank you

To me it seems like he is kicking diagonal - so not power kicking same side as hand entry but in fact opposite. So when he breaths to the right side there's a power kick from the left leg as the right hand enters the water. Or am I wrong? Watch from 12 to 12:10 min into the video.

It is likely to have a analysis of Katie Ledecky and Mack Horton together, their 2 beat kicking are beautiful

Love this. Obviously Yang is a great swimmer, and your breakdown of his stroke is terrific. My only point of disagreement - and really it's more a perspective - I don't believe Yang has a four beat kick. I think it's a 6-beat kick, but unless he's sprinting, he sort of drifts through two of those kicks during his breath. You can almost see that he is kicking but not hard enough to really count. So I think it's a 6 beat kick or as I prefer to describe it, a 1-2-3 Kick. Great job though!!

Wow....it's most part discipline!!!*Breathing,*BodyPosture,*MaintainedFocus.

What about the hand ? Shouldn't the fingers be together ?

Breathing on every stroke just before a wall. This is interesting.

Make park tae hwan plz

I don't know if you agree with this or not, but IMO it is the hip rotation, more than the shoulder flexibility that allows Sun Yang to have that high elbow catch. I think that as he rotates to the side of the arm that's is catching the water, it becomes easier to do have an high elbow because of the torque of the hip. What do you think?

Do an analysis of Ian Thorpe

His ankles aren't as flexible as I would expect for one of the world's best swimmers. (yes, very nit picky of me)

Sun Yang swims very gracefully, and with speed.

Make an analysis of 2012 Olympic men's 200m freestyle final : Yannick Agnel vs Park Tae Hwan vs Sun Yang. Agnel won by one body length.

I can replicate his stroke, and achieve just under half his speed. I put it down to my age :)

i think we missed the most important aspect, his whole body seems undulating at right place at right time, the movement of individual parts (legs and body) sometimes seem unorthodox, but putting them together he moves more like a marine mammal, this is something no other swimmers have. i think this is main reason he only needs 27 strokes per pool length.

Sun Yang's "two leg kick beat" coupled with 4 beat kick pattern , that is a variation of 6 kick beat, is likes a full propulsion for him, that style made him glide easy effortless compare to other swimmer. Sun Yang stroke arm turnover is perfect, that style was second to noone.

27 strokes per length his stroke freq is low, so he needs to breath every 1-2 strokes than someone doing 40 strokes per length and doing around the same time per length

Front Quadrant: draw a circle with the shoulders at the center. Divide the 360 degree circle into fourths (quadrant!) = 90 degrees = [vary the rotation of the quadrant, but let's pick 45 degrees up in the air above the water surface and 45 degrees below the water surface = 45 + 45 = 90 degrees.] Now, put both arms into this 90 degree arc AT THE SAME TIME MOMENTARILY! This is FRONT QUADRANT. Question: what does this have to do with the quarter of your body at your feet? ANSWER: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! He completely misses the four main points of Sun Yang's stroke that gives him so much power to be a world record holder and Gold Medalist! (NOTE: Absolutely NOT catchup stroke where you almost slap the hands together!)

Open the pools !!

Michael phelps, Caleb dressel, and Katie ledecky next please

Shout out to the 4 beat kick being the compromise when my coach had me move away from the 1-beat

12:30

Next oussama mellouli please🙏🏼

If you really want to be picky you could say Yang doesn't have the best ankle mobility on his right foot Plus he really incorporate extra breathes whenever he feels like maybe even more than others. You can see a lot of double breaths into the wall nowadays for long distance swimmers, but Sun yang breath a lot more even when coming out of the wall and sometimes during the middle of the pool. And still , unbeatable. I guess 6.7ft + extreme early catch and elbow/shoulder mobility does the trick !

Brasil 👏👏👏

Besides analyse freestyle , if it is possible that you can analyse also breaststroke too

I am not sure about the timelines in regard to this event and what I'm about to ask, but would it make a difference if a swimmer was on steroids, allowing them to do or get away with things or techniques that one normally could not?

Do steroids help with shoulder mobility ?

There’s 0 evident of him cheating, his results were all official and excuses were to be made on each of the two test failures. People are saying that he is a cheater with no evidence, just to save face and find reasons for their own athlete’s’ bad performance. Sun was one of the most tested athletes and it’s clear that its impossible to cheat on any world level competition. Sun Yang is the second most decorated swimmer of all time according to individual world titles, and he is the best freestyler in history. Maybe his personal behavior is not the greatest, but everyone should definitely be looking up to his swimming skills.

Sun yang 1,98 metres !!

Finke is coming.

20:10

It's crazy how he spreads his knees so wide. Drops his shoulder a bit. Not perfect yet

jeez didnt know he was 6"7

Brenton, yes mate he has a great catch. We have to remember this, That he has been forced into retirement, Maybe do a stroke analysis on Ian or Grant?

Next up: Cycle like a prime Lance Armstrong

Please put subtitles in Spanish I love Russian videos but I don't understand that much English

Lol why are all the adds on your videos for 50yr old men with hair and memory loss.

Very beautiful Allah, thank

1:07 Cheater Chumpion. He's no hero

Sun’s swimming technique: steroid bottle

Perhaps a video on which dope he used next?

B-Sample analysis, amirite ?!

He’s been dq’d twice. Is there really no other example to follow?

Sun Yang : 💉💉💉💉💉

He is juiced to the gills. DQ forevah!!!

God bless steroids.

Do Mack Horton to balance it out. Get a look at a clean athlete

i was expecting a stronger kick with all the steroids he took

The key for Sun Yang stroke are steroids

I think his best technique is the doping.

China today is much like the Soviet Union in 70s and 80s. There must be national team who helps doping.

I am flummoxed by this video, which completely MISSES the secrets that Yang is doing in his stroke. Also, the emphasis on small potatoes and completely missing the MAJOR points that create his "secrets". Yang is doing it for all to see.. on video...in stop action analysis, and you COMPLETELY miss his vital technique skills that make him so fast. Hint: there is zero mention in this video, of the top three skills that Yang does to go fast in his stroke. I am just amazed.

Too bad he dopes

You forgot, his technique is to DOPE