Fist Drill- question

hi,

maybe you need to lie a bit flatter in the water. Make sure your
eyes are zooming in on the tiles - just slightly forward, this will
ensure your head is more positioned for a streamlined body.

KOS said:

Hi, I am an intermediate swimmer and have been doing the fist drill
for sometime. I have noticed when I swim with closed fists that it
isnt that easy- sometimes it feels like I am drowning. What are the
key things to take into consideration when doing this drill? I notice
when I am done and swim regular (open hand) my swim is wonderful.

When swimming closed fist- in order to not feel like sinking or
drowning- should one focus on hip rotations more??

Thanks KOS

KOS said:

Hi, I am an intermediate swimmer and have been doing the fist drill
for sometime. I have noticed when I swim with closed fists that it
isnt that easy- sometimes it feels like I am drowning. What are the
key things to take into consideration when doing this drill? I notice
when I am done and swim regular (open hand) my swim is wonderful.

When swimming closed fist- in order to not feel like sinking or
drowning- should one focus on hip rotations more??

I think you are supposed to feel like you are sinking or drowning,
without actually sinking or drowning. The idea is to get the motion
right without the hands, so that your body is balanced throughout the
stroke without the benefit of much forward momentum. Then, when you
add the open hands back in, you should have that wonderful feeling.

KOS said:

Hi, I am an intermediate swimmer and have been doing the fist drill
for sometime. I have noticed when I swim with closed fists that it
isnt that easy- sometimes it feels like I am drowning. What are the
key things to take into consideration when doing this drill? I notice
when I am done and swim regular (open hand) my swim is wonderful.

When swimming closed fist- in order to not feel like sinking or
drowning- should one focus on hip rotations more??

Thanks KOS

Fist drill is most useful for acquiring the correct amount of internal
rotation of the arm and (especially) the forearm; with fists the blade of
the hand is essentially ruined, and the remaining blade is that of the
forearm - which must be rotated as described to be effective.

MW Smith said:

KOS said:

Hi, I am an intermediate swimmer and have been doing the fist drill
for sometime. I have noticed when I swim with closed fists that it
isnt that easy- sometimes it feels like I am drowning. What are the
key things to take into consideration when doing this drill? I notice
when I am done and swim regular (open hand) my swim is wonderful.

Quoted message said:

When swimming closed fist- in order to not feel like sinking or
drowning- should one focus on hip rotations more??

I think you are supposed to feel like you are sinking or drowning,
without actually sinking or drowning. The idea is to get the motion
right without the hands, so that your body is balanced throughout the
stroke without the benefit of much forward momentum. Then, when you
add the open hands back in, you should have that wonderful feeling.

Actually, you shouldn't feel like your are drowning. You should feel
exactly the same as with regular freestyle except that your are not
catching as much water. fist drills you help you with two things.
first, how do you position the body correctly so that you don't feel
like you are drowning? second, how do I move my arms efficiently to
catch as much water as possible?

First things first, try to relax. don't try to move your arms fast to
keep afloat. Maybe start with a good glide where your body is
effortlessly moving forward. As you try to stroke, try to figure out
what motion makes you body want to sink. Try to eliminate that motion,
or figure out how to position your body so that the motion wont make
it sink.

Second, try to stroke slowly and see how you can catch more water w/o
you hands. You will notice that bending your arm under you about 45
degrees feels like you are catching more water.

If done properly, fist drills should be less exhausting than regular
swimming. this is because you are actually catching less water so you
are using less muscle strength to move your arm and hand through the
water. you should feel relaxed, except that you move slower and take
more strokes to cross the pool.

Quoted post said:

MW Smith said:

On Jun 2, 1:48 am, KOS <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi, I am an intermediate swimmer and have been doing the fist drill
for sometime. I have noticed when I swim with closed fists that it
isnt that easy- sometimes it feels like I am drowning. What are the
key things to take into consideration when doing this drill? I notice
when I am done and swim regular (open hand) my swim is wonderful.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

When swimming closed fist- in order to not feel like sinking or
drowning- should one focus on hip rotations more??

Quoted message said:

I think you are supposed to feel like you are sinking or drowning,
without actually sinking or drowning. The idea is to get the motion
right without the hands, so that your body is balanced throughout the
stroke without the benefit of much forward momentum. Then, when you
add the open hands back in, you should have that wonderful feeling.

Actually, you shouldn't feel like your are drowning. You should feel
exactly the same as with regular freestyle except that your are not
catching as much water. fist drills you help you with two things.
first, how do you position the body correctly so that you don't feel
like you are drowning? second, how do I move my arms efficiently to
catch as much water as possible?

First things first, try to relax. don't try to move your arms fast to
keep afloat. Maybe start with a good glide where your body is
effortlessly moving forward. As you try to stroke, try to figure out
what motion makes you body want to sink. Try to eliminate that motion,
or figure out how to position your body so that the motion wont make
it sink.

Second, try to stroke slowly and see how you can catch more water w/o
you hands. You will notice that bending your arm under you about 45
degrees feels like you are catching more water.

If done properly, fist drills should be less exhausting than regular
swimming. this is because you are actually catching less water so you
are using less muscle strength to move your arm and hand through the
water. you should feel relaxed, except that you move slower and take
more strokes to cross the pool.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Interesting, thanks for the info

The fist drill focuses on your catch in the water. Of course swimming
open-handed is a lot easier because of the greater surface area and
being able to control how your hand catches the water better. When
doing the drill, concentrate on catching the water better with your
forearm so when you apply this drill to your stroke, not only are your
hands catching the water, your forearms are too. If you have ever
watched an internationally ranked swimmer swim, the water is being
pushed by their hands and their forearms. This drill is perfect for
improving stroke efficiency in the water.