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
Years ago I attended a swim clinic that was hosted by the coach at the University of Kansas. He taught the "pinkie out, pinkie in" theory. A couple of years later, I attended their swim clinic again. He had changed his philosophy and was now teaching "thumb out, pinkie in". I asked him why he changed and he said that he had found that a lot of his backstrokers were having shoulder problems. Switching to the "thumb out" method seemed to solve the problem.
Anna Lea
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Former Member
Years ago I attended a swim clinic that was hosted by the coach at the University of Kansas. He taught the "pinkie out, pinkie in" theory. A couple of years later, I attended their swim clinic again. He had changed his philosophy and was now teaching "thumb out, pinkie in". I asked him why he changed and he said that he had found that a lot of his backstrokers were having shoulder problems. Switching to the "thumb out" method seemed to solve the problem.
Anna Lea
