I recently had a disagreement with another swimmer about proper fly technique. After the recovery, where do the hands enter the water? I was taught they should enter the water a little wider than your shoulders, but he insisted that they should enter the water closer together, more like 6 inches apart. Which is correct? Does it make a difference whether you're swimming sprint fly or distance fly?
Former Member
I believe it is much more important what your hands do right after they enter the water than exactly where they enter. If the hands enter close together, then immediately go outward - they are not contributing to propulsion. I think the shoulder width hand entry is less likely to create wasted motion during the first phase of the outsweep.
I don't have it in front of me - but I believe Maglisho's book recommends a shoulder width hand entry.
It's starting to matter since I'm getting pretty good and the body dolphin is now as familiar and ingrained as riding a bike.
The one area that I most experiment with is the underwater positioning and stroke of my hands and arms - and how to get the most for the least. Since the fly is especially tiring, it seems imperative to find the best (and perhaps most economical) underwater motion. This is the first year that I am comfortable with and getting real command of the fly. I haven't watched any video yet this year, so I guess I'm overdue.
Reading this thread just gave me a crazy idea. The hands enter the water softfly with the palms out and down. The trick is to quickly rotate the arms and get the hands in position to pull. Having a narrow entry doesn't help. My crazy idea is to try having the hands enter the water with the palms in (instead of out) and down. This would reduce or eliminate the necessary rotation and should start the pull a little sooner.
Ok. Obviously since nobody is doing it, it's a bad idea. But why? (Looks? which is one reason why the fly is so great.) I guess I should have tried it first, then I'd know?
Right now I am lucky to clear the water at all but when they do get there thumbs and little fingers hit the water at the same time. But you have to remember my fly style comes from the 50s and by best life time 100m lc fly was one minute in the early 60s.
It's not like I force them in that way. I'm very loose jointed. When I go to the orthopedist she can practically pull my arm out of the socket.....
I'll play around with it.....
And this description:
The put in takes place on shoulder width. Just like the freestyle the arms are put in on ¾ of their total length, at which the little finger is pointed upwards. The touching of the water surface is passive, but the start of a specific bearing is an active process. The elbows are high positioned
From here:
www.milo.com.my/.../TheArmstroke.htm
I was trying to find a still picture of Phelp's hand entry cause I thought he did not do the hand entry like the articles describe, but his stills are usually showing the width of his stroke(which is incredible) or his hands back. The most common way I see it taught by coaches is like the articles show. Perhaps once you get the common technique down, you can play around with that entry, and it also makes me wonder how much difference your strength makes in the way you enter the water, and flexibility as discussed.
