Thumbs Down or Pinky First?

which stroke?

I like thumbs up at the catch, pinky down with a nicely bent arm.

Sidestroke! Pinky down...

Originally posted by geochuck .... Just to add when I drink tea the pinky is always sticking out. I see my trouble. I drink coffee, not tea!

I used to swim with a very extreme thumb first. Now I enter my hand very naturally tips of fingers first with a slight downward slant.

Originally posted by swimpastor which stroke? I'm sorry, it's for the freestyle stroke. After years of medial rotation, the pinky first enabled me to catch more waves body surfing. Seems to automatically kick in the trunk rotators with a wallop - wow!! clyde

First, what happens in your main body trunk, closest to your power source, is a lot more important than a fine point at the farthest periphery, i.e. how the tips of your fingers enter the water. How is your balance? To what extent to you roll your body, or otherwise use the larger muscle groups in your body trunk to generate power for your stroke? Do you firmly "grip" the water during your armstroke and follow all the way through? Is your recovery smooth and easy? How is your oxygen management and your ability to pace yourself over the distances you swim? Your streamline technique off of the start and the turns? I would actually recommend someone do work with fist drills (i.e. close your hand into a fist while you swim) to get your attention away from your hands, and learn how to balance, grip the water, etc. etc. without using them. They can be like a paddle, and allow your to mask or compensate for stroke flaws. Once your feel smooth and comfortable with your fists, then proceed to the finer points. Second, what you want with your catch is: (1) slip it in smoothly to minimize the volume of air bubbles you take into the water with your hand. Too much air means a poor catch. In terms of sensation, your catch should feel like you are scooping pudding, rather than fizzy soda. (2) Avoid injury! Everyone's body is different. If doing something the way your favorite Olympian does it, or the way it says in your swimming reference book, or the way your overly pendandic coach requires, causes you pain, do it differently. (the old Groucho Marx line "Doctor, doctor, it hoits when I do this." "Don't do that.") Then there are all the considerations of which stroke, what distance and turnover rate, etc. etc. Bottom line: pinky, thumb or forefinger first, do what works best for YOUR stroke. Note, this will probably require feedback from a coach, and thought on the matter for you and your coach. No brain = no gain. Matt

What about the thumb and pinky "plane" parallel to the surface of the water during/at the catch?

Jim I put the pinky and thumb in and plain a little, very little then on the way to the catch for 6 to 8 inches thumb down then switch to thumb up to the catch and pinky down till I get to the catch then pinky up just before the recovery. Just to add when I drink tea the pinky is always sticking out.

If you get 100 responses, you might get 100 nuances... I do thumb-and-index finger first. As soon as my hand dips below the surface I straighten/level out my hand while I'm still pushing my hand forward to begin my catch.