Backstroke - pinkie out?

Former Member
Former Member
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?
Parents
  • Former Member
    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.)
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  • Former Member
    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.)
Children
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