So any opinions about the best way to move your hands? Closed with thumb tight (cupped)? Open? Fingers together and thumb out? I always kept my fingers & thumb together, but I've read I should keep my thumb out? What's the best technique?
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Former Member
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.
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Former Member
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.
