Is there any consensus on the correct postion of the hand at freestyle entry?
On the one hand I have read that the hand should be angled slightly palm-inward toward the body at entry (third or fourth finger entering the water first), but have also seen the reverse suggested (palm-outward, thumb entering the water first).
Palm-inward feels more natural to me and seems to put less strain on the shoulder, but I can see the advantage of palm outward in terms of preparing for the catch phase and keeping a high elbow.
I watched Jim Clemmons swim distance freestyle at Nationals in Cleveland, and if memory serves, his hands went into the water in a way that reminds you of twin hoes tilling a field--almost at right angles to his wrists. He told me this helps him anchor his catch. He's a pretty strong guy; to me, it looked painful. But he's the same fellow who has done lifetime bests (by far) post 50.
Jim, if you are out there, can you weigh in on this topic?
For what it's worth, I personally put my hands in more or less flat, perhaps a slight bit of pinkies first, but not exaggerated one way or the other. This, like many questions about swimming, is something I hadn't thought much about. For instance, what position do you have your tongue when doing flip turns? I have no idea but will check this out tomorrow.
I watched Jim Clemmons swim distance freestyle at Nationals in Cleveland, and if memory serves, his hands went into the water in a way that reminds you of twin hoes tilling a field--almost at right angles to his wrists. He told me this helps him anchor his catch. He's a pretty strong guy; to me, it looked painful. But he's the same fellow who has done lifetime bests (by far) post 50.
Jim, if you are out there, can you weigh in on this topic?
For what it's worth, I personally put my hands in more or less flat, perhaps a slight bit of pinkies first, but not exaggerated one way or the other. This, like many questions about swimming, is something I hadn't thought much about. For instance, what position do you have your tongue when doing flip turns? I have no idea but will check this out tomorrow.
