In Video: Open Hand or Closed?
by Terry Laughlin

I get asked all the time: “Should my hands be open or closed while swimming?” Like many of you, I took the Red Cross intermediate lessons in which a teenage lifeguard earnestly told us to “cup” our hands to hold more water.

About 15 years ago, (after 30 years of swimming without giving it a thought) I saw underwater video of my stroke for the first time. I noticed that my right hand was closed, while my left was open. Thinking that what I was doing with my left hand was undoubtedly wrong, I focused on holding the fingers on my left hand together. The only result was that my left forearm was throbbing with fatigue within a few laps. So much for that experiment. I began to wonder if perhaps I should focus on relaxing my right hand instead. After 30 years of habitually closed fingers it took me several years to let go.

As this video explains, the real question isn’t “should my hands be open or closed?” What matters more is whether they are stiff (tense) or relaxed. The answer may surprise you.