What's the best freestyle hand pull?

I don't know if there is a BEST. Most swimmers that I know have closed fingers with a small space to the thumb. What works best for you, I guess.

Whether the fingers are together are slightly spread is personal preference.You don't want your fingers tightly together as that just gives unnecessary muscle tension.Also you don't want your hands cupped as that reduces surface area.

Your hand is a paddle. The size or area of your hand must be optimized. The hand must be rigid. The fingers can be slightly apart with the thumb out (adding area). I haven't seen any data on the optimum distance the fingers should be apart ( a good science project). It's not easy to keep the hand rigid when the fingers are apart so if you can't, keep your fingers closed. Don't cup your hand. Hope this helps. Coach T.

I think you have to be cautious about the findings of these studies, if you look at the graph in the CFD study you see that a 3mm separation is a slight improvement but a 4.4mm separation is actually worse than with fingers together, and then 8mm is better again, and then things trail off. Most swimmers will have a hard time controlling their finger separation that precisely.

I think you have to be cautious about the findings of these studies, if you look at the graph in the CFD study you see that a 3mm separation is a slight improvement but a 4.4mm separation is actually worse than with fingers together, and then 8mm is better again, and then things trail off. Most swimmers will have a hard time controlling their finger separation that precisely. and of course the perfect spacing will be different for each person. i like to have enough separation so that i can just barely feel water slipping between my fingers as i pull. don't know if this is optimum but at least it is repeatable and feels better than fully closed.

This level of fine tuning has a direct impact (if any impact) on distance per stroke. In other words, very easy to test. Not that difficult to distinguish the truth from the bull sh.t for anyone capable of counting the strokes and evaluating the DPS based on the length of the glide prior turn (last stroke).

All research must be scrutinized but this information supports the need to increase the area of the hand. From a cupped hand (the worse hand position) to a hand that is rigid with fingers apart (the best position), swimmers need to know the difference. It is indeed difficult to keep the fingers apart but if you want to get faster you can learn how to do it. Important and great information for sure!

Thanks for the wonderful information. This tidbit is very important to every swimmer and coach. Thanks again!

Your hand is a paddle. The size or area of your hand must be optimized. The hand must be rigid. The fingers can be slightly apart with the thumb out (adding area). I haven't seen any data on the optimum distance the fingers should be apart ( a good science project). It's not easy to keep the hand rigid when the fingers are apart so if you can't, keep your fingers closed. Don't cup your hand. Hope this helps. Coach T. www.springerlink.com/.../ www.posetech.com/.../finger_spacing.pdf looks like a relaxed hand position with 10-12deg of finger seperation is good. i also read somewhere that up to about .25" finger spacing is ok.

I notice then when my thumb is out it causes turbulence and bubbles that I see as a negative. so I have closed my fingers and tucked my thumb in and now - no bubbles... but am I faster? No idea!!!