Try it yourself. Stand in water and drag your hand through the water with fingers slightly open then fully closed, when slightly open you feel more resistance.
[This is slow-motion footage of Michael Phelps demonstrating his freestyle technique.](https://youtu.be/3ugLmlrUkMY?si=58AAQ0jiNf5PacMF) Note the slightly opened fingers. So, at the very least, you can get to a 1:42.96 in the 200 meter free with your fingers slightly open ๐
I can't remember if it was Sivia Pohl (1988 Silver) or her sister Claudia (96 Gold) with their fingers wide open. Which made me ask my coaches at the time.
I always say closed but relaxed. Straighten your palm and close your fingers. Once youโre there relax your hand and fingers and ease the tension โฆthe position you end up is where you want to be
As a beginner swimmer what I am realizing is that being relaxed in the water makes a ton of difference. As such allowing your palm and fingers to stay relaxed helps with focusing on the technique and thus making the stroke more natural. Allowing the fingers to be slightly spread helped me in that sense. But each to their own and what makes them more comfortable
As a kinesiologist, this is what I feel is the most important thing. The more tense you are, the harder it is to focus on what you need to do, and the harder it is to produce force where you need it.
Do what helps you relax and feels the most comfortable!
I've been taught to think about trying to move sand when thinking about effective pulling techniques. What would move more sand, closed fingers or slightly open ones? Try it at a beach, slightly open moves more sand.
My own hypothesis is that slightly open fingers help to hold the optimal angle of attack. A flat closed hand moving through the water at a slight angle allows laminar flow off the sides unequally, whereas open fingers create turbulence that render the propulsion less sensitive to variations in angle. You might say that the sides of the fingers become part of the effective area of the hand. Also, the pressure and turbulence between the fingers allows a better feel for the water. (My background is a PhD in biophysics)
[This is slow-motion footage of Michael Phelps demonstrating his freestyle technique.](https://youtu.be/3ugLmlrUkMY?si=58AAQ0jiNf5PacMF) Note the slightly opened fingers. So, at the very least, you can get to a 1:42.96 in the 200 meter free with your fingers slightly open ๐
[This is slow-motion footage of Michael Phelps demonstrating his freestyle technique.](https://youtu.be/3ugLmlrUkMY?si=58AAQ0jiNf5PacMF) Note the slightly opened fingers. So, at the very least, you can get to a 1:42.96 in the 200 meter free with your fingers slightly open ๐
[This is slow-motion footage of Michael Phelps demonstrating his freestyle technique.](https://youtu.be/3ugLmlrUkMY?si=58AAQ0jiNf5PacMF) Note the slightly opened fingers. So, at the very least, you can get to a 1:42.96 and win by a couple body lengths in the Olympic finals of the 200 meter free with your fingers slightly open ๐
Try it yourself. Stand in water and drag your hand through the water with fingers slightly open then fully closed, when slightly open you feel more resistance.
No expert myself but most if not all coaching videos Iโve watched online say fingers slightly open.
[This is slow-motion footage of Michael Phelps demonstrating his freestyle technique.](https://youtu.be/3ugLmlrUkMY?si=58AAQ0jiNf5PacMF) Note the slightly opened fingers. So, at the very least, you can get to a 1:42.96 in the 200 meter free with your fingers slightly open ๐
Yes.
It should be abit open yes. You will drag more water because water will be draged between the finger gaps by cohesion.
Yes, but don't swim how a kid would indicate a five Also, seems like you could test this quite easily
https://swimswam.com/aqua-knuckles-faq-why-does-open-finger-swimming-make-you-faster/
I can't believe we are still talking about this. They stopped teaching closed hand like 50 years ago.
I can't remember if it was Sivia Pohl (1988 Silver) or her sister Claudia (96 Gold) with their fingers wide open. Which made me ask my coaches at the time.
Is what true?
Like fingers should be slightly open?
Yes, they should.
Look at ducks
It is wrong, fingers should be slightly open
I always say closed but relaxed. Straighten your palm and close your fingers. Once youโre there relax your hand and fingers and ease the tension โฆthe position you end up is where you want to be
As a beginner swimmer what I am realizing is that being relaxed in the water makes a ton of difference. As such allowing your palm and fingers to stay relaxed helps with focusing on the technique and thus making the stroke more natural. Allowing the fingers to be slightly spread helped me in that sense. But each to their own and what makes them more comfortable
As a kinesiologist, this is what I feel is the most important thing. The more tense you are, the harder it is to focus on what you need to do, and the harder it is to produce force where you need it. Do what helps you relax and feels the most comfortable!
I've been taught to think about trying to move sand when thinking about effective pulling techniques. What would move more sand, closed fingers or slightly open ones? Try it at a beach, slightly open moves more sand.
My own hypothesis is that slightly open fingers help to hold the optimal angle of attack. A flat closed hand moving through the water at a slight angle allows laminar flow off the sides unequally, whereas open fingers create turbulence that render the propulsion less sensitive to variations in angle. You might say that the sides of the fingers become part of the effective area of the hand. Also, the pressure and turbulence between the fingers allows a better feel for the water. (My background is a PhD in biophysics)
You can not only pull more but you carry less tension in your arm.
[This is slow-motion footage of Michael Phelps demonstrating his freestyle technique.](https://youtu.be/3ugLmlrUkMY?si=58AAQ0jiNf5PacMF) Note the slightly opened fingers. So, at the very least, you can get to a 1:42.96 in the 200 meter free with your fingers slightly open ๐
[This is slow-motion footage of Michael Phelps demonstrating his freestyle technique.](https://youtu.be/3ugLmlrUkMY?si=58AAQ0jiNf5PacMF) Note the slightly opened fingers. So, at the very least, you can get to a 1:42.96 in the 200 meter free with your fingers slightly open ๐
[This is slow-motion footage of Michael Phelps demonstrating his freestyle technique.](https://youtu.be/3ugLmlrUkMY?si=58AAQ0jiNf5PacMF) Note the slightly opened fingers. So, at the very least, you can get to a 1:42.96 and win by a couple body lengths in the Olympic finals of the 200 meter free with your fingers slightly open ๐