Last night I went to a coached practice for the first time in a long time, and the coach had me and one other person do backstroke pinkie out/pinkie in instead of thumb out/pinkie in. That was the first time I had ever had a coach tell me to do something like that, and I didn't get a chance to ask the purpose. Do any of you coaches or more experienced swimmers know why a coach might tell a swimmer to do that?
While he may have been doing it as a drill,it is not a good practice in general. Aside from being awkward,it will put more strain on your shoulder,making impingement problems more likely.
George,pinky up is exactly the worse position for impingement.
Former Member
Thumb out...pinkie in.
I explain to the kids...as if their arm is the big hand on a clock...
From 9 o'clock until 1 o'clock...the thumb leads the recovery.
From 1 o'clock until 3 o'clock the arm rotates and the pinkie gets ready for slicing the surface upon entry.
When your arm leaves the water...it should be relaxed.
Thumb out ensures that your hand can make a clean exit...and your triceps muscles won't be tight.
(As Allen said...impingement could be very likely with pinkie out the whole way.)
By the time your arm is ready to re-enter the water...it should do a last minute rotation so that the pinkie is slicing into the surface.
(Slapping the water with the back of one's hand is bad form...but many have done well with this kind of entry.)
Former Member
On backstroke I like the little pinkie to exit the water first, I believe it causes less muscle stress. Just sit there or lie on the floor I think you will find more stress when your hand comes up thumb up.
Former Member
Just watched a bunch of backstroke videos. It looks like most of the winners of the races the little fingers did come out first but the thumb was not pointed directley to the bottom.
I was coached the opposite of that just 6 months ago, specifically in reagrds to where to end your underwater pull...it is supposed to be pretty far off your body and much shorter than I was expecting. Such a power stroke will make it EASIER (take less energy) to bring your hand out of the water THUMB FIRST.
Is this current thinking?
Former Member
George:
My hand has much greater range of motion thumb up. Pinkie up, I can feel it in my should and Tri, too.
Former Member
George I know your forte is freestyle, but try this...
Hold your right arm straight out in front of you.
Put your left hand on the tricep of your right arm.
Rotate your hand...thumb down pinkie up...and feel the tricep muscle get tight.
On backstroke I like the little pinkie to exit the water first, I believe it causes less muscle stress. Just sit there or lie on the floor I think you will find more stress when your hand comes up thumb up.
When your hand finishes at your side after a stroke. your thumb is already pointing "up" (or opposite of the bottom of the pool). You should then bring your arm out of the water thumb first, rotate , and enter pinky first. If its akward, there is a drill specifically designed to practice this movement where your arm comes up thumb first, arms stops while pointing straight up, rotate hand 180 degrees, enter hand in water.
