I once read that the hydrodynamic force of the water pressed against the fingers (during pull phase) creates surface tension sufficient to sustain a “paddle like effect” on the hand with the fingers open.
It seems that if this were true, spreading the fingers would increase the surface area of the “paddle”.
Most people are taught to hold fingers together.
Can anyone offer (useful/helpful) insight?
I’ve never noticed any of the top-level, Olympic swimmers keeping their fingers open… look at Phelps.
I worried about this when I first started swimming and my coach told me that I had bigger fish to fry.
From my research online it seems that a relaxed hand with slight spacing (millimeters), thumb in or out is the best. There is something to do with having a larger surface area and water not being able to escape through the small spaces effectively. Cupping your hand is the worst, so don’t do it.
From my research online it seems that a relaxed hand with slight spacing (millimeters), thumb in or out is the best. There is something to do with having a larger surface area and water not being able to escape through the small spaces effectively. Cupping your hand is the worst, so don’t do it.
That’s how I understand it too, and watching the pros many of them have slight spacing between the fingers (though I find it’s very hard to do consistently in practice).
search - this topic comes up often.
Another quick answer is that you guys think FAR too much about all these little things. Let your hands pull as they may, don’t put too much energy into finding “the perfect finger spread distance” or cramming them together (it’s not doggie paddle).
Forget about the little finger things and focus on more important things, like rotation, the catch…
You’ll enjoy this. Especially the way Phelps sticks his pinky out like he’s drinking a cup of tea:
I’m an All-American college swimmer who now does triathlons to keep from getting fat. I can say everyone who knows about swimming relaxes their hands in the water. Not only does it create a larger surface area, but it will make you more comfortable in the water. Win-win
Who is this Phelps character and what does HE know 
looks like his pinky moving outward is kind of balancing his hand out somehow as his shoulder extends.
I hold that there are more important things to think about than how your fingers are in freestyle.
I agree that hands relaxed is the most important thing. It really does help prevent you from unnecessary tension between fingers and elbow. Once hands are relaxed, some people end up fingers together, some people end up with fingers slightly apart.
As long as you aren’t going all jazz hands in the water, don’t worry about it.
This is one of those little things that is very personal. What works best for one person may not work at all for another. Some people have their thumb sticking straight out with fingers close together. Some have their thumb tucked in tight, and fingers spread apart. Some overlap their fingers. etc…
Like others have said, in the grand scheme of things, this is very minor. Focus on the main mechanics of the stroke, and just let your hands relax.
Fingers stay together. This is always fastest… Unless, you get the webbed glove and pull a fin-man.
as TC said, don’t worry so much about the fingers. let the relax and find a ‘neutral’ position. gaps aren’t going to be a big deal.
why?
the hand is only a small part of the pulling surface. once you get your swimming down (or, more down), you should be pulling with your forearms, and upper arms (when appropriate). the hands are certainly an important part, but there’s a lot more surface that will work for you, if you let (make) it.
I’m an All-American college swimmer who now does triathlons to keep from getting fat. I can say everyone who knows about swimming relaxes their hands in the water. Not only does it create a larger surface area, but it will make you more comfortable in the water. Win-win
Please explain how your hand changes surface area by spreading your fingers compared to having them close together. I’d love to see the physics on that. The surface area of your hand is fixed cause well its your hand. Unless you are elastigirl from the incredibles i just don’t see your surface area changing much.
Concentrate on grabbing the water with your forearms instead of pushing down with your forearms on the first 40% of your pull.
Because that is where the magic hides.
I’m an All-American college swimmer who now does triathlons to keep from getting fat. I can say everyone who knows about swimming relaxes their hands in the water. Not only does it create a larger surface area, but it will make you more comfortable in the water. Win-win
X2
As is common, the simplest explanation is the right one.
I’m an All-American college swimmer who now does triathlons to keep from getting fat. I can say everyone who knows about swimming relaxes their hands in the water. Not only does it create a larger surface area, but it will make you more comfortable in the water. Win-win
Please explain how your hand changes surface area by spreading your fingers compared to having them close together. I’d love to see the physics on that. The surface area of your hand is fixed cause well its your hand. Unless you are elastigirl from the incredibles i just don’t see your surface area changing much.
OK, so your hand doesn’t magically swell up, but the effective planing surface does increase by the area of the gaps between your fingers, as long as those gaps aren’t so big that the water just squirts right through. Picture the 3 Stooges trying to go through a doorway together.
I’m an All-American college swimmer who now does triathlons to keep from getting fat. I can say everyone who knows about swimming relaxes their hands in the water. Not only does it create a larger surface area, but it will make you more comfortable in the water. Win-win
Please explain how your hand changes surface area by spreading your fingers compared to having them close together. I’d love to see the physics on that. The surface area of your hand is fixed cause well its your hand. Unless you are elastigirl from the incredibles i just don’t see your surface area changing much.
The way it was explained to me is that water doesn’t compress well, so if your fingers are barely apart, all the water can’t compress enough to flow through the gap, and the net result is you “grab” more water.
I never tried it, I learned to swim long before the gapped hand was a theory.
John
but the effective planing surface does increase by the area of the gaps between your fingers,\
That is the right answer…You can demonstrate it by using a small solid paddle. Then use one that is much larger with holes in it, but the same amount of material in the paddle. The larger paddle will be faster, even though there are gaps in it, because it moves a larger volume of water. There is a point of course where your fingers get too far apart, but held tightly together is also not optimal. It is somewhere inbetween, and as others have said, it usually is natural, and not a forced thing…