**041823 - Fingers Open or Closed Freestyle Zoom**

Fingers Open or Closed on Freestyle?

It’s an age-old debate and we look forward to a lively discussion on Zoom. We’ll share clips from multiple Olympic freestylers to help us focus.

**Monday**

Kaitlin Sandeno: Slow-Motion Freestyle

Kaitlin Sandeno’s hands on entry and extension are super relaxed.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/582-slow-mo-freestyle-kaitlin-sandeno>

:21 - relaxed fingers

:46 - relaxed on entry

:57 - completely relaxed

1:15 - relaxed

1:32 - relaxed

<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3638706/> - in Section 5, conclusion

To increase drag force contribution throughout the underwater stroke, the shape of the hand should be altered in separate phases.

**Tuesday**

James Guy: Freestyle Full Body

Olympian James Guy shows us open, relaxed hands on extension, but loosely closed fingers on the pull.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2579-freestyle-full-body> 

:10 - relaxed in extension

:11 - hand tighter in pull phase

:28 - completely relaxed… almost searching

:30 - watch the thumb close on catch

:51 - A softness of the hand prior to catch

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine\_Chapel#/media/File:Creación\_de\_Adám.jpg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel#/media/File:Creaci%C3%B3n_de_Ad%C3%A1m.jpg)

2:05 - faster - hands still relaxed

2:40 - hand tighter on finish

<https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00348-021-03333-1>

We find that cupping the hand does not help and that thumb abduction has a slight but significant positive effect on drag.

<https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00348-021-03333-1/figures/5>

**Wednesday**

Kara Lynn Joyce: General Smooth Freestyle

We love how Kara Lynn Joyce’s hands are open and relaxed, but how they hold their shape.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1172-general-smooth-freestyle> 

:09 - Thumb out on right hand

:09 - Thumb in on left hand

:27 - Thumb out on right hand through the pull

:30 - fingers slightly apart on extension

:31 - Tighter on push

:33 - light through fingers

:34 - very little gap

:35 - thumb closing

:35 - hand opening on finish

**Thursday**

Bruno Fratus: Hands

Bruno Fratus’s hands are always searching for a horizontal line and for clean, solid water.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2376-freestyle-hands> 

:16 - Relaxed on entry

:22 - right fingers together

:34 - fingers apart on extension

:39 - right hand tighter

:51 - relaxed on finish

A soft searching when swimming smoothly

<https://personal.fgb.vu.nl/~jsmeets/2017/Effective_propulsion-JAB17.pdf> - Page 98 in Conclusions

The challenge for training and coaches is to determine the optimal technique for an individual swimmer.

**Friday**

Ricky Berens: Hand Extension

There are very few examples better than Ricky Berens when trying to illustrate a relaxed hand into extension.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1858-ricky-berens-hand-extension> 

:05 - fingers very spread

:24 - very relaxed

1:02 - Thumb very wide

1:07 - left fingers almost lead

<https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&context=dhp> - Conclusions - Page 23

From the percent increase in area analysis, it is apparent that employing this practice with a 0.30cm separation between the fingers may allow for less than a 3% increase in surface area for both male and female swimmers.

Another factor to consider when determining the usefulness of this technique for a competitive swimmer is the ease of holding the fingers at this specific separation while swimming.

**Saturday**

Jason Lezak: Connect the Catch to the Core

Jason Lezak is known for his signature “open” fingers, but he feels the finger width is incidental. It’s all about connecting the core to the catch.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/353-connect-the-catch-to-the-core> 

:30 - relaxed in extension

Thumb out in catch

:34 - initiates catch with fingers apart

:34 - fingers come together during push

1:28 - relaxed in extension

Fairly relaxed through the whole phase - play at x.2

2:58 - play at x.2 - open and then tighter

<https://watercitizennews.com/researchers-point-to-fingers-as-key-to-speed-in-the-water/>

Swimming with fingers apart can result in a whopping 53 percent increase in total force.

“A faster swimmer is one who looks like a bigger wave above the water, and you get bigger above the water by having the force to lift yourself above the water, which you do by having greater downward force,” from your hands, he said.

**Sunday**

Glenn Mills: Open or Closed Fingers

Glenn explores the open/closed debate in his backyard Endless Pool.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2922-open-or-closed-fingers> 

1:56 - Experiment to determine the best way

BONUS

Kim Vandenberg: Freestyle – Head-On Underwater

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1642-freestyle-head-on-underwater>

Robert Margalis: Free – Hands – AW – Side – Slow Mo

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/101-freestyle-hands-above-water>

Chat Discussion:

09:59:55 From Robert McNally to Everyone:

Hi Glenn!

10:00:06 From Nora Stoycheva to Everyone:

Hi guys <3

10:09:08 From lynn morrison to Everyone:

I got it

10:09:41 From Holly Frost to Everyone:

😄

10:10:30 From Yuting Zou to Everyone:

Can I have a link to download the file? I’m a mathematician

10:10:48 From Yuting Zou to Everyone:

The article

10:11:11 From Glenn Mills to Everyone:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3638706/

10:11:15 From Yuting Zou to Everyone:

thanks

10:13:32 From Monty Krieger to Everyone:

his wrist is turned with the palm facing the other side - is that good?

10:14:46 From Dan Jimar to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

Romanchuk

10:16:32 From Glenn Mills to Dan Jimar(Direct Message):

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00348-021-03333-1

10:17:20 From Dan Jimar to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

https://youtu.be/H7pGPQrv4J8?t=408

10:17:22 From Glenn Mills to Everyone:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00348-021-03333-1/figures/5

10:17:27 From Dan Jimar to Everyone:

https://youtu.be/H7pGPQrv4J8?t=408

10:18:09 From Dan Jimar to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

yellowe

10:25:18 From Glenn Mills to Everyone:

https://personal.fgb.vu.nl/~jsmeets/2017/Effective\_propulsion-JAB17.pdf

10:27:35 From Dan Jimar to Everyone:

Does it has to do with which side the breath on?

10:27:52 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

Wondering the hand differences are related to a person being left- or right-handed

10:27:57 From Dan Jimar to Everyone:

yes

10:27:57 From lynn morrison to Everyone:

that's what I was thinking too

10:31:32 From Dan Jimar to Everyone:

think it says 0.30cm

10:31:46 From Dan Jimar to Everyone:

\~ 0.12 inches

10:31:56 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

1/8 inch

10:33:21 From Robin McQuinn to Everyone:

Does finger separation depend on hand speed (or lack of)

10:33:53 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

Strength would also matter then with velocity

10:34:04 From Robin McQuinn to Everyone:

Yeah!

10:34:05 From Katie Kenny to Everyone:

1/8 of an inch is about 1/4 of the width of one of my fingers (I have narrow fingers)

10:34:06 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

And of course the surface area and dimensions of the hand

10:34:30 From Robin McQuinn to Everyone:

More palm pressure = more finger separation?

10:39:51 From Monty Krieger to Everyone:

for those who had there wrists turned on extension, were the hands flat to the water when they entered?

10:40:06 From Monty Krieger to Everyone:

Their wrists, not there!

10:40:57 From Robin McQuinn to Everyone:

Is a swimmer’s forward comparable to a ‘bulbous bow’ of a ship?

10:40:58 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

Did any of the studies evaluate forces with paddles - from a mesh to a solid paddle ? Just curious.

10:41:21 From Monty Krieger to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

Private: you may want to read the Black Swan, regarding how too much information might be a problem.

10:41:30 From Dan Jimar to Everyone:

408 seconds

10:42:43 From Dan Jimar to Everyone:

use . for frame movement

10:44:09 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

I like forward sculling work

10:44:19 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

And play with fingers “play"

10:44:35 From Dan Jimar to Everyone:

In YouTube . moves 1 frame forward and , moves 1 frame backwards

10:45:01 From Corinne Machoud Nivon to Everyone:

I say play piano in the front with your fingers Barbara

10:45:36 From Dan Jimar to Everyone:

relaxed forearm

10:45:57 From Barbara Hummel to Everyone:

that’s a good image, Corinne. Thanks!

10:46:19 From Kathy Eaton to Everyone:

I like using the Finis Freestyler paddle. I find it gives me real awareness the hand and fingers.

10:47:12 From Wallis Lahtinen-Hicks to Everyone:

On the recovery, have the swimmer give the hand a little shake....just to remind them to loosen up the hand

10:48:35 From Barbara Hummel to Everyone:

I like to use the phrase, “That’s not helpful.”

10:55:37 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

Great stuff. Thanks for the research links. You almost have a Review Article written with this!

10:57:30 From Monty Krieger to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

I have got to hand it to you, this was a good session!

10:58:40 From Ruth Cheung to Everyone:

It was a great discussion today! Would love to have a future discussion on kicks (2 beat, 4 beat, 6 kick etc) 🙂

10:58:58 From Barbara Hummel to Everyone:

Thanks Ruth. We’ll put that in the hopper

10:59:13 From Ruth Cheung to Everyone:

Reacted to "Thanks Ruth. We’ll ..." with 👍

10:59:23 From Ruth Cheung to Everyone:

Sounds like a great topic next wk

11:00:03 From Anne-Marie Corroon to Everyone:

thanks very much

11:00:11 From Monty Krieger to Everyone:

Loved the breath timing video with Curtis - lots to think about

11:00:41 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

I’d like to see another webinar around breath timing

11:01:10 From Barbara Hummel to Everyone:

Thanks, Lana. We’ll work on it.

11:01:21 From Dan Jimar to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

Nathan Adrian in his 50 free? %age?

11:02:01 From Ruth Cheung to Everyone:

Always look forward to these meetings, thx!

11:02:01 From Wallis Lahtinen-Hicks to Everyone:

thank you!

11:02:02 From Diana Ringer to Everyone:

Thanks!

11:02:07 From Corinne Machoud Nivon to Everyone:

Thank you!

11:02:08 From Katie Kenny to Everyone:

Thank you

11:02:09 From Nora Stoycheva to Everyone:

Thanks Glenn! bye

11:02:10 From Alay Shah to Everyone:

Thanks

11:02:12 From Linda Daniel to Everyone:

Thank you!


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April 18, 2023 - Fingers Open or Closed Freestyle Zoom