Fingertips, Wrist, Elbow, Shoulder

A critical phase of the front crawl (freestyle) stroke is your hand entry. This is where we want to focus on the two most important movements in the stroke: streamlining and propulsion.

Your hand should enter fingertips first, then wrist, then elbow, and then shoulder.

Swimmers should avoid fully extending their arms as they enter the water, but rather drive into the surface at an angle about five inches in front of the head. This is the moment where you rotate into the stroke. I coach that a swimmer should consider their hips initiating the rotation, coordinating with the hands. (Left hip drives the right hand, and vice versa). So now has you hand starts to slip into the water, your shoulder rotates so that the arm extends slightly below the surface into a good streamline position.

At this point, you should be as long as possible from your fingertips to your toes, reducing drag.

This, in turn sets up the catch phase of the stroke and sets up a proper arm stroke in early vertical forearm.

I use a number drills to perfect your hand entry, such as (the all important*) 6-1-6 drill, 6-3-6, Broken Arrow, and Fingertip drag. Each is designed to achieve a great set-up for streamlining, catch and pull.