Fist drill
Closing the hands reduces their surface area and makes pressure on the forearms easier to notice.
- Stroke
-
Freestyle
- Goal
-
Feel for the water
- Level
-
Intermediate
How to do it
Swim easy freestyle with closed hands without clenching. Keep your normal underwater arm path and look for continuous pressure on the hand and forearm. Open the hands on the next repeat and compare the sensation.
Key cues
- Close the hands without tensing the forearms.
- Keep the forearm involved as you establish the catch.
- Maintain normal rotation and breathing.
- Compare immediately with open-hand freestyle.
Common mistakes
- Spinning the arms faster to compensate for less grip.
- Shortening the pull dramatically.
- Clenching hard enough to create shoulder and forearm tension.
Practice format
4 rounds of 25 m fists + 25 m normal freestyle, with 15 to 20 s rest after each 50 m.