Freestyle - Hand Entry - Sub for Pic of the Week

Posted by Glenn Mills on Mar 04, 2010 09:17AM (12,000 views)

One of the first requests we received on the iPhone app, was to discuss, or illustrate, how the hand should enter the water on freestyle.

While there has been a lot of conversation about this, I personally believe this is a personal thing. There are those who believe that rotating the hand in, or out, will either help, or cause shoulder problems. I simply don't think blanket statements can be made for either case since there are billions of people on the planet, which makes for a virtually unlimited number of variances that have to be taken into consideration.

- Check out the hand entry on Jason Lezak!

With that said, it is important to know which entry works best for you, is the safest for you in the long term, and provides you with the best extension... which leads to the catch. In other words, these are merely examples for conversation. You must reach your own conclusions.

If you have the app, you have these in the palm of your hand. If you don't have the app, we're providing the visuals here. Enter your thoughts below. :)

freestyle, hand entry

Responses

Charlotte Reisch	Responded Mar 04, 2010 03:06PM Thank you for this; I still have problems with the hand entry but this should make it easier.
Aquatic Rhino	Responded Mar 04, 2010 03:41PM While I recognize that there are an enormous variety of people and preferences, there are still certain movements of the body that are technically sound or unsound. It sure feels to me like it would be very difficult to support a pinky entry. By rotating the hand in that manner, it puts substantially more pressure on the shoulder, and also creates a position of much greater resistance to a high elbow. In looking at the video, I even feel it looks awkward. Clearly, as it is the same swimmer in each video, the different entries are being purposefully demonstrated, and the viewer does not know which entry is the swimmer's preferred natural entry. Are there any swimmers on a national/international scale who have a natural pinky entry, where we could view video of their stroke and hand entry?
Charlotte Reisch	Responded Mar 04, 2010 04:21PM Glen; as said before this is good. Can you please tell me whether the hand entry is the same for straight arm recovery. My instructor has taught me the straight arm recoverly and I have to say that I feel much better for it. However, the hand entry is the one I can't get quite right yet. Thanks.
Glenn Mills	Responded Mar 04, 2010 04:47PM Hey David. I think you'll find that when you teach older swimmers with limited flexibility, or varied problems, you'll see that pinky side entry at some point. The illustration is to show the range that you'll eventually see over time, and when you first see it, it's not something that needs to be feared... but just something that occurs in some swimmers. Because it's not the easiest position to get into for most people, you probably won't see top swimmers do it... thus... a serious lack of video on this one. Basically... if it's possible for anyone to do, then someone out there is doing it. ;) Charlotte. Mostly for straight-arm, you'll either use thumb or flat... you WON'T use pinky because you're probably getting a bit more rotation with straight-arm, and turning your hand around to karate chop the entry would be a bit silly. Talk to your instructor, since I can't see you, it would be unwise of me to make a blanket suggestion. thanks.
Charlotte Reisch	Responded Mar 04, 2010 07:39PM Thank you Glenn for your helpful comment; I will take it up with my instructor.
camy	Responded Mar 04, 2010 07:49PM I too, feel the pinky hand entry awkward. Never seen anyone doing it, and even never thought of that type of entry ! By the way, the swimmer can FQS in all cases.
JZ	Responded Mar 06, 2010 12:40AM I read many times that "pinky first" is safer for the shoulders than "tumb first", because it avoids internal rotation of the shoulder. Personally, I prefer flat hand. Anyway, if you want an example of an elite swimmer that used pinky first, there you have Peter van den Hoogenband. (In fact, he used pinky first only for his left hand, and tumb first for his right hand.)
JZ	Responded Mar 06, 2010 12:42AM spelling: thumb thumb thumb thhhhhhumb. Sorry.
Ali Farahani	Responded Mar 16, 2010 11:41PM My hand entry is somewhat between flat and thumb entry. Can we have that as an option for hand entry?
FlippedOut	Responded Mar 24, 2010 09:39PM I found self doing pinkies the other week in the pool, almost unawares, and it felt interesting. This matter clearly requires more consideration. I'll experiment pinky vs. thumb tomorrow in the pool. The flat hand thing looks awkward.
FlippedOut	Responded Mar 24, 2010 09:41PM Federica Pellegrini thumbs it. I've just checked.
FlippedOut	Responded Mar 24, 2010 09:53PM And as for Ian Thorpe - flat? Beautiful.
mary	Responded Apr 09, 2010 12:28PM so ...what s the best one?how it has to be?
Glenn Mills	Responded Apr 09, 2010 01:26PM It all depends on you Mary. :) Try them all and find out which one fits the best.
RadSwim	Responded Apr 11, 2010 01:15AM I used pinky entry when I was having rotator cuff pain. After strengthening weak muscles and improving flexibility, flat entry works best now.
Stan_D	Responded May 20, 2010 01:45PM What I notice in all of these is that there are few if any bubbles on the hand entry, as opposed to my hand entry, and that even though the swimmer is doing almost a catch up drill, there is no apparent slippage of the stroking hand; i.e., if I observe my hand entry point, say over a drain, and the exit point it has slipped a little. How do you find that invisible rope you good swimmers seem to have under water that anchors your hands?
Grant Hanson	Responded May 25, 2010 07:42PM Stan_D - I've also noted the scarcity of bubbles, watching swimmers at Nationals. It must be one of many "little things" that get folks to that level. There is always some "slippage". For elite swimmers it might appear that their hand exits at the same point in entered, but that's because it glided forward somewhat going into the catch. The magical "lift" force that sucks a swimmer forward, hand-first, is a myth perpetuated by the pseudo-scientific. Some swimmers are all kick, others all arms. You just want to avoid your hand "ripping" through the water unproductively. I'm working on one of my guys right now. Incredible tempo, but choppy strokes.
ismail celik	Responded Nov 07, 2010 09:29PM Those pics are awesome for whom to try to learn freestyle swimming. i think its the best for body roll. try with a pool buoy and and enjoy your swimming! Thank you go swim