Should I Swim With Closed Or Open Hands? | Swimming Hand Entry & Technique Explained
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- Depending on when & where you learned to swim you might have been taught to keep your fingers close together. We're taking a look at the hand as it moves through the water, irrelevant to the finger position. We talk about aerodynamics in cycling, it’s time to address the fluid dynamics for swimming!
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What do you think is better, hands open or closed? Let us know what you think 🤔
Dear GTN,
Thank you for this hydro dynamics piece of advice. I would have another subject that I would much appreciate you to deep for us?
The "cross-over kick",
as I could discover it through this last published video from the Effortless Swimming RUclips channel called "The Most EXTREME High Elbow Catch EVER". This leg kick is unfamiliar technic (for me), however it seems recommended for long distances swiming or triathlon?
By the way, I'd like to mention how much great improvements in listening English I am making, since the time I subscribded to your channel (as a froggie)! I find it is so pleasant, and not so common on YT, listening such british accent! Thank you so much.
Relaxed open.
Lucy Charles B is open finger, you can see in her vids. I'm prepared to go with that 😎
I mean, how many crew teams row their boats with rakes? ;-)
@@JustinaZenOnDVD we'll certainly be addressing the leg kick again soon. Thanks for the comment.
I had a swim instructor tell me that we should "swim with spoons and not forks". Of course my stroke is so inefficient that I always felt this was like rearranging the cutlery on a dinner table on the Titanic.
😂
As a swimmer who competed at the national level, the hands should always be relaxed. But almost ALL swimmers will make each finger about 1 finger apart.
The more important aspect for you to go fast in swimming is how to initiate the catch phase of freestyle. Keeping your elbows up for as long as possible and making sure your palms are pointed backwards will drive the body forward.
I've always been told to swim with closed fingers, and what's bugging me when trying to make the fingers apart while pulling in the water is that the water resistance sort of tethers my fingers (almost like they are shaking). Is that normal or should I flex the muscles in the fingers to fixate them from moving like that when trying to swim with space between them?
@@okramra flexing will just use up any energy you gained from the difference in technique. If your fingers are shaking, then most likely your hand/palm angle is incorrect by putting too much pressure on your finger tips. I would see where your palms are facing to correct the issue.
Lol, didn’t expect to hear about hydrodynamic basics in a GTN video, goes to show the dedication this team puts into the videos and the research required
Actually, I have been squeezing my fingers so tightly together that my hands fatigue and sometimes cramp. So now I am trying to be more relaxed, good to know that it is also more efficient!
Me too
Dang, you are always so concise and on point! I came here because I’ve really been struggling with my hands and wrists. I have severe arthritis (wheelchair bound) and swimming is my only exercise, but like I said... hands and wrists. I’m going to try using fists today. Good to know that it doesn’t really make too much of a difference. Thank you so much for putting so much into these videos! Happiest New Year 2021 🎊🎆🥂
I was told to swim with my fingers closed, which resulted in stiffened body and legs dragging along. Until I saw a tutorial from Mark Foster promoting hands open, I adopted it immediately as it helps me to get long and extended strokes and maintain a good body position. I would say swim with open hands for beginners, then slowly work towards "relaxed" hands.
Can't believe almost half a million subs - here from day one 😜
🙌
Open and relaxed for me. I've had someone with closed fingers and was so tightly pressed and elongated that there fingers cramped
I think, while open fingers will improve the pull of water; for a majority of people there are more important factors of the stroke to focus on, e.g body position, head position, high elbow catch and pull etc. I've always found that when I actively focus on how far apart my fingers are, this causes these other more important fundamentals to be sacrificed.
Couldn’t relate more to this, breathing / head position is much more a priority for most
Yes I agree as mentioned in the video. Hence why I'd suggest opting for a relaxed hand.
Understand what you say though this seems like such an easy gain that it becomes a no brainier and literally takes (almost) one of your brain cells to put in place. Always love those easy wins...
The whole idea of “relaxed” should apply to your recovery as well as your fingers. I was taught to cup my hands but find I have a better feel for the water when I do as you say, relaxing my fingers. Thanks for the video!
The best test is to take 10 kg of flour bag and put your fingers as per both techniques. You will find that the penetrativeness of spoon fingers is better than fork fingers!
That sums up the drag cooffiencient in hydrology as well.
I always swam with relaxed hand, and most of the times I was told to close them. ;)
I always swim with relaxed hands, but try to feel the water to see where the ‘grip’ is. I’ve been swimming for over 50 years, so my technique might be a bit ‘old school’ now, but I’m still able to show the whipper snappers a clean pair of heels when I hit the water!
Since I started swimming in January and watching your videos, I’ve been wondering the same thing. I’ve see your group and other videos , mostly with open fingers and was wondering why. Great video on both options. Dam, now I gotta think and try open hands. I’ve been keeping them closed but not straining. Too much to think about while swimming, hand entry, reaching, catching, Pulling all the way back, bringing up the hand all while keeping the body position as fluid dynamic as possible and rotating and kicking. My brain hurts.
that's why we do drills focusing on one thing at a time, to engrain each part individually
I know it's so much to think about that's why I would recommend trying to relax the hand and not focusing too much on that part. Focus on the larger parts of the stroke and hopefully fingers will follow.
@@heatherfell_oly thank you for that advise. I’ll try it today.
The final question reminds me of gear choice on the bike and cadence
Handy tip. Thanks.
i've wondered about this. thanks.
Could you make a video about growing fingernails in order to increase surface area? If it works, that could be the next big thing in competitive swimming.
after 30 min swimming in open water with 15 degrees You would not have a choice :D
🥶
Exactly - just back from swimming in 13 degrees lake and relieved to learn that my splaying fingers at the end of the swim might not be such a bad thing - some experiments to do there....
Ha I hear you, 😨
Nice work. Credible. Helpful.
having trained to close my hands with breaststroke, swimming with my hands open during freestyle feel more natural - definitely prefer it than closing them digits!
Excellent video!
Thanks for the video.... the relaxed hand makes sense and fits with my stroke.... so that’s the fingers covered. What about the thumb?? I swim with my thumb out during catch and pull, it feels better to me... I suspect because I can much more easily sense the angle of my hand and keep pressure. would be great to hear about this :-)
“...that’s kind of handy!...” 🤪
Good information, thank you
Could you please do a video on how to tread water ?
I love your channel ❤
I recently came across the video after an individual said for surfing relaxed/natural fingers is better for paddling. Given most every video for beginner paddlers advises you to cup your hands, this surprised me to discover! Now though I wonder if the change in density going from chlorinated water to salt water (if any difference) negates this or compliments this?
9 % difference is impressive
Open All the way!
Very interesting , thanks 🐠🏊♀️
I've seen this open vs. solid barrier to flow in a couple other places. A solid fence is no barrier to wind. One made of open vertical slats is. Another example is the type dam used in native American run off farming in arid SW USA. A solid barrier removes soil and itself. The porous ones allow desert soils to capture water. Nice to watch something sane after following USA politics.
That's interesting to hear.
I could fill the page by typing the number of times one of the coach yell at me "CLOSE YOUR HANDS!". But I must admit I think I'm too relax :) But my feeling goes to open at 3mm as you said relax hand. But you can look at record holder on 1500m like Ledecky and Yang (I know he's a doper) and you have everything. If you look at fast Kona swimmer like Josh Amberger and Lucy Charles they seems to have closed hand so ... I think there's no right answer ....
I agree as there are so many other factors at play, it's a hard one to measure and prove. That was the science I could find and it makes sense to stay relaxed.
Then why are swim paddles solid and feel fast? What about hand size relative to each person?
I swim open fingers as i find its less stress on the forearm
Okay, I have to ask a non-sporting question: Is "Alvin and the Chipmunks do Techno" an actual music genre? Is it popular? I find this music is used a lot on the sporting (triathalon, running, cycling) videos and am too old now to know what's cool anymore.
Hahahaha dude don't worry about it, fads change but background/ambient music keeps the same purpose
How can you have both a relaxed hand and at the same time have a strong pull ? As your relaxed hand pulls against the tension/pressure of the water , your fingers will be pushed upwards , giving less of a pull. Confused.
how to swim with holding hands and fingers comfortably spread w approximately 12 degrees between them?
There might be as much to think about in swimming as there is in golf.
Is that a Garmin watch? Looks similar to mine. :)
in competitive swimming RELAXATION is everything. Conservation of energy. No NCAA swimmer I know has their fingers touching.
Sigh. Oh how I miss my pool in COVID lockdown
Having watched a number of your videos, I would say that your hand is too relaxed. To me, you don't want loose like a string, or rigid like a board, but more like a spring steel ruler. Your fingers are splayed, and kind of curled over, kind of like bird claws when they are perched on a tree limb. For the hand entry, to get least friction/resistance, you want more of a knife which will cut through the water. Not sure how much sense this makes, but one of those little things that might not make much difference in a 50 meter spring, but could make a bid difference in a 1500 meter or longer swim. It is probable that it would make a bigger difference for Olympians than it would for most swimmers.
A scientific approach with tests and measurements would be more interesting.
It's hard to make all this second nature
I swim 10 20 40ks my hands stay open
try keeping your head a bit more still, not looking forwards and exhale through your nose under .... that will make an even bigger difference.
Lazy.....errrr.....relaxed fingers.
There should be a glove for swimming with webbing between the fingers.
Try Aqua Knuckles, built to teach open finger swimming.
Tockington School Pool?
Mount Kelly Swimming Pool 🙂
@@gtn Reminded me of where I had done a Sprint Tri. I guess they build them to a standard design.
I find when I cup my hand when I’m swimming freestyle allows me to move faster