It’s curious which phrases stick in our minds. You can hear the same advice from a dozen different people, and then one of them says something in a way that completely resonates. And so it was when I spent some time with swim coach Karlyn Pipes. She told me to float face down and form a Y shape with my arms, like lying on a surfboard. Because of the width of the surfboard, she said, your hands will enter the water a lot wider than normal. Like creating a Y shape. Imagine paddling on a surfboard.
This is the first video practising the Y shape
This is Karlyn explaining the principles of the wider hand entry and why it works well
Previous swim coaches had always instructed me to keep everything very tight with hands entering either side of the centre line, but because I’ve had a few shoulder problems in the past this always felt restrictive. The Y hand entry took a bit of getting used to but it definitely felt like less effort for the same speed. Since that session with Karlyn, I’ve made some small adaptations and had some additional coaching input and I’m still using this approach today.
It actually makes sense to have a wider hand entry. The hands are more in line with the width of the shoulders which removes some tightness from the shoulder joint and allows you to get into a catch position much more easily. I find that most triathletes do not have the shoulder mobility of swimmers, and so this does make it an easier technique to learn.
When swimming in open water the position also has the benefit of providing more stability, very useful when the water is choppy and pushing you around.
Now take a look at this next video where Coach Pipes provides some feedback on my first attempt with the new technique.
An interesting side note, a few weeks after the coaching session I got back in the pool with my normal squad and the coach immediately picked up on the change and told me to keep my hand entry narrower. That approach doesn't work for me anymore, although it might for many others.
In the swimming world there are so many different coaching styles. Please don't let anyone tell you that a specific style of swimming, is the best because it isn't. You have to find the technique that works best for you.
Feel free to share your thoughts on my Facebook page.
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I really appreciate you being part of my tribe and I look forward to helping you achieve better health and better performance.
Simon
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