Once you’ve focused on creating the top part of the paddle (straight wrist), it’s important to learn how to use the rest of your arm to propel you.

While you set up the pull with your hands and forearm, keeping the elbow high throughout of pull allows you to use the larger muscles in your side and back to get the arm through the pull.

Pushing the water from the INSIDE of the elbow can help to engage the larger muscles, but also keeps more of the arm in a production position longer through the pull.

One of the biggest trouble spots in freestyle is dropping the elbow too early in the pull, and the elbow will start to slice through the water.  Focusing on pushing the water back from the INSIDE of the elbow, is a great way to check to see how much you’re using your arm for the entire pull.


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Pull from inside the elbow