Like many elite male swimmers, Michael Phelps swims catch-up
stroke on his left side, but
he "kayaks" on the right. That is his shoulders
move in tandem on the right - while the
right shoulder moves down, the left one moves up.
1. This side is catch-up. Both shoulder are
high, as if he's shrugging them.
2. The sequences below show the "kayak" side of
Phelps' stroke. From this angle, his upper arms almost look like
a kayak paddle.
