Fist Gloves

[naj]

On the second day of my freestyle workshop we all received fist gloves. One of our instructors was going to tell us how to use them but because of the size of our group -- 21 people -- we never got around to it. Can someone explain how I can use fist-gloves in my freestyle and how it will help me have a more efficient stroke?

[Rhoda]

Mainly, they force you to anchor your whole arm in the water and use the strong back muscles, and to un-learn the delicate dropped-elbow paddling pull with the hand that so many of us have picked up. They also remove the feel of the water so that when you take them off, your hands briefly feel huge, like dinner plates. (Sort of like the sudden flash of visual details you'd get if you were in a totally dark cave and a light were switched on.)

[naj]

Originally Posted by Rhoda

Mainly, they force you to anchor your whole arm in the water and use the strong back muscles, and to un-learn the delicate dropped-elbow paddling pull with the hand that so many of us have picked up.

Rhoda I'm completley new to swimming and learned the TI way so I'm curious what you mean by the "dropped-elbow" paddling?

[daveblt]

An example of the dropped elbow is when you reach too high during arm extension as you spear forward causing the elbow to be lower than the hand and then as you pull you also lead with the elbow instead of the correct way by keeping the hand lower than the elbow as you spear forward and then anchoring with the forearm and hand facing your feet as you pull.


Dave

[naj]

Thanks Dave now I can visualize what you're saying. Like I said before, I'm new to swimming and the TI method is all I know so I'm in a good muscle memory habit of keeping my hand lower than my elbow when I spear to my target.

[CoachBobM]

I see that other people have explained the "why" of fistgloves. As far as how to use them, a simple way is to wear them for about the first 20 minutes of your practice - whatever you're doing - and then to take them off for the rest.