This series of exchanges from the Discussion Forum perfectly illustrates the diverse ways we arrive at an understanding of swimming technique, while providing valuable insight into how we hold the water well enough to propel effectively. While Guy Ward provided an insightful mechanical analysis, Steve Kelly reminded us that our ability to take advantage of the fluid dynamics described is dependent on how sensitive we are to changes in how we feel, and Bob McAdams synthesized the mechanical and the sensory. Terry

Topic: hand position (1 of 20), Read 172 times
Conf: Freestyle
From: Ken Holland
Date: Monday, June 12, 2006 12:58 PM

As I have spent 25+ years evolving as a swimmer, and TI has improved my learning curve... there’s one question I have been unable to resolve after six months....

How can the downward pitch of the wrist not be considered a drag rudder in forward motion? As I try to swim over my anchored hand, it appears that the hand position illustrated in the Freestyle Made Easy DVD could meet resistance from my forward motion. My times have improved. My effort has become a great luxury variable and I am pleased to say that I have improved dramatically at the tender age of 43, yet this seeming contradiction still puzzles me.....Thank you TI !!

From: Guy Ward
Date: Monday, June 26, 2006 03:25 AM

I’ve pondered the same question. I suspect that the answer might be counter-intuitive. Who would have thought that adding a small wing on the end of an aeroplane's wing would give the wing less rather than more drag? Similarly who would have guessed that adding a wing to the bottom of a yacht's keel would cause the yacht to have less, rather than more, resistance as it moved through the water?

What seems important in efficient swimming is the overall shape of the arm and hand as it extends forward in the water. Perhaps the extended arm together with the down-angled hand is forming an aero foil shape that tends to help hold the arm in place just as an aero foil produces lift to hold an aircraft in the air? The aero foil shape would also add a forward component to forces on the arm that would help move the body through the water.

I suspect there are some quite subtle fluid dynamics at work here which we don't really need to understand but are nevertheless interesting to speculate about. The important thing is to have good techniques to get our arms locked onto the water, and this is what TI provides.

From: Guy Ward
Date: Monday, June 26, 2006 07:39 PM

I’d like to add that I believe, as Terry has pointed out, the focus should be more on the arm that is entering and piercing forward, than the arm that is stroking, as this will have much greater impact on your swimming. The arm that is entering is travelling very fast: your swimming speed plus the speed at which you drive it in. This has the potential to generate some beneficial forces. This may also be tied together with the aqua foil affect I mentioned in my previous posting, as the faster the flow over the foil, the greater the resultant lift generated and also the anchoring affect.

Others have drawn an analogy between TI swimming and in-line skating where the forward propulsive force is generated by shifting body weight from one side to the other, pushing off against the sideward resistance being provided by the wheels. Others have argued that in water we have nothing solid to push against as we do in skating. The arm aqua foils may indeed be providing the resistance we need to propel from.

If the arm aqua foil affect is indeed important then the key focus in freestyle would be to maximize the aqua foil effect as much as possible. I imagine that small changes in the shape of the foil – i.e. tipping down the arm and hand – could result in big changes in the forces generated – just as small changes in the shape of an aeroplane's wing can result in big changes in the lift produced. A wing can provide resistance in a medium where there is little or none; making our arms work like wings in the water must surely be a great benefit for a swimmer.

From: Steve Kelly
Date: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 12:23 PM

I find your analysis interesting but my emphasis is different. Through TI practice, I’ve developed the habit of focusing mainly on “feelings” and “sensations” rather than externals like the pace clock. To remain engaged and to further my development I tune into specific feelings such as a spearing hand entering the water cleanly, a well-timed kick, or a firm catch. I have experienced and memorized really good examples of each. My daily goal is to try to recall and repeat these sensations.

As an example, earlier this year I had several swims where my catch felt so strong it was as if I was holding onto something underwater. That “sensation memory” is locked in my head and serves as a daily guide to how well I’m doing on any given lap. This past week I have begun to become more aware of the sensation of hip drive. This creates another sensation – of gliding forward more with each arm-spear.

At the same time, I’m still aware of slight instability while recovering. I swim faster some days to see what happens. I listen to the sound of the water as I swim to gauge how smoothly I’m swimming. I experiment with varying my hand angles to produce various “foil effects.” None seemed to produce any startling improvements so I shifted my focus to areas I feel are more productive. Gliding more stably in a rotated and streamlined position is a refinement I will be working on. Keeping the fingers on the lead hand tipped down as I recover also feels more slippery. Finally, rather than try to spear my hand with more power, I try to derive power from better synchronization of hip drive and leg drive. When I get that coordinated I can sense a new source of energy. But I have more work to do to make this automatic and permanent.

From: Guy Ward
Date: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 07:35 PM

I agree totally with what you say about using feelings and sensations as your guide. I was presenting a possible technical explanation for what is going on in the water when we swim and not really useful in a practical way for someone trying to improve their swimming. I guess it was my engineering background coming to the fore. If you like it was considering the 'why it works' of swimming rather than the 'how to do it.'

What is going on in our minds and being aware of feelings and sensations when we are in the water is crucial for sure.

From: Robert McAdams
Date: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 03:38 PM

With regard to the analogy between how skaters and swimmers propel, keep in mind that skaters generate force the same way, and most of us don't think of a sheet of ice as providing anything solid to push against. The floor, a sheet of ice, and water provide different amounts of traction, but there is traction in all three.

From: Guy Ward
Date: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 07:39 PM

However the ice skate does provide solid sideways resistance thanks to the blade biting the surface of the ice; this resistance allows the ice skater to shift their weight and push off against this resistance.

From: Robert McAdams
Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2006 11:30 PM

True. But if you try to apply too much force, it will overcome the "bite" of the blade, and the skate will slip. And the same thing is true of an inline roller skate, except that the amount of force it can bear without slippage is greater.

When your arm is pushing against the water, it provides less traction than either an ice skate or an inline skate. The tricks are (1) to make sure the force you apply to the water doesn't exceed the amount of force it can bear, and (2) to increase the amount of force the water can bear by increasing the surface area you are pushing with (i.e., grab the water with your whole arm instead of just your hand).

The difference is that if you mess this up when you're swimming, it won't make your feet slide out from under you, as it would in skating. But it will cause you to lose your grip on the water and increase turbulence.

From: Guy Ward
Date: Thursday, June 29, 2006 09:52 PM

So I guess we need to be really vigilant for signs of turbulence, especially around the arms and become more aware of sensations and feelings while we swim – exactly the point Steve was making! It would be nice if we could recognize what it feels like when our arm is slipping in the water compared to when it's not.

I guess this is all about quiet swimming and flowing through the water rather than resisting it and pushing it aside.

Thanks for that Bob, very helpful.

From: John Carey
Date: Friday, June 30, 2006 01:43 AM

I remember that in canoeing, my uncle taught me to watch the water next to the paddle – if it created a quiet swirl like a mini-funnel "cloud" that was excellent. If it created froth that was inefficient.

You can't see that quiet swirl while swimming, but I wonder if you can learn to recognize it by feel? Maybe some of you can try sliding out sideways a little if you think you have a good catch and see if you can feel a swirl.

Comment on this article