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Explain the fist drill to me
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So since I couldn't really breathe today (thanks to Tahoe smoke inhalation) I was noodling around with some swim drills at the pool, and tried the fist drill, which I've never done before. Did it with the pull buoy first just to try it out and without the buoy second. Can someone describe to me what I should be feeling in this drill? I didn't really notice much difference between my regular swimming and it other than I had to turn my strokes over a bit faster. I did watch a few youtube videos and I think I was doing what was described, but I guess I thought it would feel different.
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Erin C.] [ In reply to ]
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The point of the fist drill is to learn to use the flat sides of your forearms as paddles and improve your catch.
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Erin C.] [ In reply to ]
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I am the opposite of a fish, but we did these in swim lessons. You should feel your stokes pulling you a lot less far, so you need a lot more strokes to cross the pool. The idea is to teach your arm to be more vertical I think, so your forearm still pulls you.

If you normally need 18 strokes to cross the pool.. I think fist drill with good form = 22 or 24 strokes to cross ,vs bad form would be 30 strokes.
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Erin C.] [ In reply to ]
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Well, when a man and a woman (or a man and a man, or a woman and a woman) love each other very much, and they've had quite a bit of tequila...

Oh, sorry - wrong fist drill.

You try to swim as normal, only with a closed fist instead of an open hand.
Concentrate on feeling your forearm as a "paddle".

Then, when you open your hand, you should be able to feel yourself grabbing and holding more water.

Thus ends ML's swim tips for this decade.


float , hammer , and jog

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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Erin C.] [ In reply to ]
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The goal of the drill is to force a high elbow (aka early vertical forearm). Since you can't use your hand as a paddle (which can also be at a different angle than your forearm), the only way to get decent propulsion is to get your forearm vertical early in the stroke.

If you are doing it right, you should feel the water pressure along the entire back of your forearm as you pull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF93rZpczaU

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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [TunaBoo] [ In reply to ]
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TunaBoo wrote:
I am the opposite of a fish, but we did these in swim lessons. You should feel your stokes pulling you a lot less far, so you need a lot more strokes to cross the pool. The idea is to teach your arm to be more vertical I think, so your forearm still pulls you.

If you normally need 18 strokes to cross the pool.. I think fist drill with good form = 22 or 24 strokes to cross ,vs bad form would be 30 strokes.

O.K., that helps. I'll need to count strokes next time I try it.
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Erin C.] [ In reply to ]
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In some races the water is so crowded, the only way to make space is to punch others. Practicing swimming with a closed fist is the only way to get efficient at this.

That, or what everyone else said about feeling the pull with your forearm instead of your palm.
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Titanflexr] [ In reply to ]
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Titanflexr wrote:
The goal of the drill is to force a high elbow (aka early vertical forearm). Since you can't use your hand as a paddle (which can also be at a different angle than your forearm), the only way to get decent propulsion is to get your forearm vertical early in the stroke.

If you are doing it right, you should feel the water pressure along the entire back of your forearm as you pull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF93rZpczaU

Yeah, I'm not sure I was feeling that water along my whole forearm. I think I'll have to try it again and see if I feel it.
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Murphy'sLaw] [ In reply to ]
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Murphy'sLaw wrote:
Well, when a man and a woman (or a man and a man, or a woman and a woman) love each other very much, and they've had quite a bit of tequila...

Oh, sorry - wrong fist drill.

You try to swim as normal, only with a closed fist instead of an open hand.
Concentrate on feeling your forearm as a "paddle".

Then, when you open your hand, you should be able to feel yourself grabbing and holding more water.

Thus ends ML's swim tips for this decade.

Trust me, when I wrote fist drill I knew someone was going to bring up other, um, fist drills. :-)
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Erin C.] [ In reply to ]
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Erin C. wrote:
Murphy'sLaw wrote:
Well, when a man and a woman (or a man and a man, or a woman and a woman) love each other very much, and they've had quite a bit of tequila...

Oh, sorry - wrong fist drill.

You try to swim as normal, only with a closed fist instead of an open hand.
Concentrate on feeling your forearm as a "paddle".

Then, when you open your hand, you should be able to feel yourself grabbing and holding more water.

Thus ends ML's swim tips for this decade.


Trust me, when I wrote fist drill I knew someone was going to bring up other, um, fist drills. :-)

My work here is done. ;-)


float , hammer , and jog

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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Murphy'sLaw] [ In reply to ]
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Don't want to hijack the thread, but can someone explain the toss the salad drill?
Thanks in advance.
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [McNulty] [ In reply to ]
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McNulty wrote:
Don't want to hijack the thread, but can someone explain the toss the salad drill?

Thanks in advance.


Bring out the gimp!

Or:

David Puddy won't do the move anymore.
Really? He's come up with some other move.
You should see this thing.
- What is it? - It's a lot of just fancy stuff.
You know what it's like? It's like big-budget movie with a story that goes nowhere.
I mean, this move is no good, Jerry.
It's just taking up a lot of my time.
And I will not stand by and allow him to perform this move on me while a perfectly good move is just sitting in the barn doing nothing.


float , hammer , and jog

Last edited by: Murphy'sLaw: Sep 22, 14 17:13
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Erin C.] [ In reply to ]
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Erin C. wrote:
TunaBoo wrote:
I am the opposite of a fish, but we did these in swim lessons. You should feel your stokes pulling you a lot less far, so you need a lot more strokes to cross the pool. The idea is to teach your arm to be more vertical I think, so your forearm still pulls you.

If you normally need 18 strokes to cross the pool.. I think fist drill with good form = 22 or 24 strokes to cross ,vs bad form would be 30 strokes.


O.K., that helps. I'll need to count strokes next time I try it.

forget counting, it's got nothing to do with counting or anything else so measurable.
it's all about the additional efficiency of getting your forearm engaged in the swim stroke, high elbow, vertical arm etc

the other thing to add to the fist drill is to open your hands after half a lap. that should give you the feeling of massive grip on the water. i.e. a more complete / efficient stroke
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Re: Explain the fist drill to me [Murphy'sLaw] [ In reply to ]
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Murphy'sLaw wrote:
McNulty wrote:
Don't want to hijack the thread, but can someone explain the toss the salad drill?

Thanks in advance.


Bring out the gimp!

Or:

David Puddy won't do the move anymore.
Really? He's come up with some other move.
You should see this thing.
- What is it? - It's a lot of just fancy stuff.
You know what it's like? It's like big-budget movie with a story that goes nowhere.
I mean, this move is no good, Jerry.
It's just taking up a lot of my time.
And I will not stand by and allow him to perform this move on me while a perfectly good move is just sitting in the barn doing nothing.

It was Putty's move. Just sayin.
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