Chapter G
Coaching the Feel
of the Water
The feel of the water refers to a
swimmer's intuitive ability to feel
and effectively handle the water. It
is generally believed that feel of the
water is an elusive quality uniqueto
the talented athlete; swimmers of
only average abilitycannot hope to
emulate the acute sensory perception
of the talented motor genius.
Nevertheless, I intend to show that
by heightening the sense of touch
and learning how to interpret sensationsofmoving
pressure, swimmers
of average ability can acquire the
subtleties of advanced stroke technique.
Talented swimmers coached
in this method will likewiseachieve
greater expertise.
A more apt title to this chapter
may well be "Coaching the Feel of
the Flow." Water flows when a force
acts on it; a swimmer's hand always
propels againstthe pressure of moving
water. The force exerted by a
skilled swimmingstroke causes the
water to flow in a distinct pattern
(Colwin 1984a). The method in this
chapter showsswimmers how to feel
for the ideal flow reaction to their
stroke mechanics and thus receive
instant feedback on their efficiency.
Thisnew approach teaches swimmers
to anticipate, control, and manipulate
the flow of the water. They
learn thatthe arm functions not only
as a propelling instrumentbut also
as a skilled and sensitive shaper of
the flow.
107
I
1O8 Breakthrough Swimming
Ideal Flow Reactions
Thefirst step is toexplain how the flow behaves
during each phase of an efficient swimming
stroke. The flow directions that can be anticipated
in the different swimming strokes can be
described simply. The oncoming flow—which
in the crawl-stroke hand entry moves from the
fingertips to the wrist and along the arm—is
known as distal in its direction. A flow that
moves toward the radial bone (or from thumb
to littlefinger) is termed radial, for example, the
flowproduced when the elbows bend to bring
thehandsunder thebody inthecrawl, butterfly,
and breaststroke. An ulnar flow moves toward
the ulnarbone or from little finger to thumb,for
example, the flow produced as the armsextend
and the stroke rounds out to the hips in the
crawl and butterfly. A flow is proximal when it
moves from the wrist toward the fingertips, as
happens in the backstrokeas the arm straightens
at the end of the stroke (Schleihauf 1979).
The Importance of Hand-Forearm
Rotation
Swimmers are shown how flow behavior is
related toan important aspect ofstroke mechanics:
emphasizing hand-forearm rotation within
comfortable limits for each individual swimmer.Thisisthe
mechanism that sets up theideal
flow around the hand and forearm in all the
strokes. The practicalapplicationof thismechanism
for swimmers of all strokes is simple:Start
the stroke with the palm(s)facing outward and
gradually rotate your hand-forearm unit
throughout thestroke,withparticular emphasis
on achieving the maximum amount of elbow
bend in midstroke that is comfortable. Find the
amount of hand-forearm rotation and elbow
bend that develops thestrongest pressureonthe
moving flow but still feels comfortable.
New Terminology Related to
Feedback on Flow Reactions
Introduce a new terminology. Short descriptive
phrases such as "trap, wrap, unwrap" tell
a swimmer how to handle the flow correctly
during the split-second action of aswimming
stroke.This differs from previousmethods that
describe only the mechanics of the stroke.In
addition, the new terminology relates toobtaining
feedback by feeling the flow on the
hand and forearm. These verbal cues areimportant
to the effectiveness of the method and
arevaluable as rehearsal techniques toenhance
subsequent performance. Later in this chapter,
I will discuss appropriate descriptions of what
pressure sensations a swimmer should feel.
Flow-Shaping Skills
The swimmers are taught flow-shaping skills
by which they create and detect specific flows
in the water. These flow shapers, as they are
called, have a beneficial two-way effect, in that
a swimmer's efforts to shape the flow causea
reciprocal shaping effect on the limb itself.The
feedback received from the flow reaction causes
the proprioceptors in the muscles to respond
by adjusting the posture and attitude of the
propelling arm. Flow shapers producepositive
and even excitingresultsbecause theyinstantly
groove the hand and arm in accurate stroke
patterns. Even the skeptics becomeconvinced
that this is a uniqueand effective way to teach
efficient stroke mechanics. The essence of the
method is: the feel of the flow shows a swimmer
exactly where to place each moving sequence
of the swimming stroke.
Sensitizing Procedures
Special sensitizing procedures are introduced
to sensitize the sensory nerve endings to the
moving pressure of the water (or, more precisely,
transient pressure induced bymotion).
The propelling surfaces of the hands and forearms
are also sensitized to simulate specific
flow reactions. Themethod is simple. Sensitivity
to the flow increases at once. Swimmers of
average ability learn to regulate a smooth and
efficient stroke.
Although these techniques quickly stimulate
the sensory nerve endings, this is of little
value unless the swimmer makes an association
between the feel of the moving water and
the particular phase of the swimming stroke.
Coaching the Feel of the Water 1O9
Only then can meaning be given to the senseof
touch and an intelligent concept formed of the
desired stroke mechanics.
Connecting Sensory Information
With Stroke Effectiveness
The method short circuits the motor-learning
process and renders the complex more simple.
Thedeliberateintentionis to cause an immediate
connection between sensory information
and stroke effectiveness. By giving instant
meaning to the sense of touch, the procedure
adds a new perspective to traditional methods,
soit is used even in the early stages of learning.
Young swimmersrapidly improvetheirability
to seek out and recognize ideal flow reactions.
It is unnecessary to burden a swimmer with
academic considerations—valid though they
may be—such as lift, drag, ideal angles of attack,
and which movement planes to emphasize.
Talented swimmers, when exposed to the
method, develop unusual dexterity in directing
and channeling the flow efficiently. Even
accomplished swimmers improve their techniques
when made aware of the exact flow
reactions they can anticipate; in fact, they becomeenthusiastic
and keen to learn more about
the process.
The Goal of the Method
The goal of this method is to coach the feel of
the water by showing swimmers how to use
their sense of touch to interpret and improve
stroke effectiveness. The method encompasses
the following tasks:
1. Describe and explain the flow reactions
thatcan beanticipated during each phase
of a skilled swimming stroke.
2. Demonstrateand explainhand-forearm
rotation and elbow bending and how
these mechanisms set up the ideal flow
around the hand and forearm in all the
swimming strokes.
3. Demonstrate flow-shaper skills and explain
how they shape ideal stroke patterns
for the individualswimmer.
4. Demonstrate sensitizingproceduresand
explain how they can be used to simulate
specific flow reactions.
5. Emphasize the importance of regular
practice. Ensure constant repetition by
swimmers of all the procedures outlined
in the preceding tasks.
Using Appropriate Descriptions
What sensations of touch should a swimmer
experience when manipulating water efficiently?
How should they be described? Little
thought has been given to this aspect ofcoaching,
which is not surprising when even acknowledged
stroke technicians have used such
descriptions of water as "fickle substance."We
have all been guilty of inadequately describing
how the water should feel to a correctly stroking
swimmer.
For years, one of my favorite descriptions
was "Enter your hand and feel the pressureof
the water on your palm. Try to make the pressure
progressively harder as you drive
through." Although this may have been as
good a description as possible at the time, it
does not describe the desired feel accurately
enough in the context of existingknowledge.
A once popular and comparatively apt description
of the feel of the water likened it to the
feeling of pulling through soft mud. More recently,
however, a "fixed point of resistance"
description has become popular. (This probably
resulted from biomechanical studiesbased
on the convenient assumption of essentially
still water.) To convey the concept of a force
acting on a mass of water, the act ofpropulsion
has been variously described as feeling for
undisturbed water, anchoring the hand on a
fixed spot in the water and pulling the body
past it, pulling along an imaginary knotted
rope, and other similar descriptions.
These descriptions, strictly speaking, areinappropriate
because the propulsiveforceisnot
applied against a solid or rigid resistance.
Coaches should use carefully chosen words
when instructinga swimmer.Manyofour wellworn
coaching terms may not produce the
reactions we desire.
11O Breakthrough Swimming
Understanding the Concept
of Relative Flow
A good example of a potentially misleading
term is the word "catch," which has been used
since the early days of swimming to describe
how a swimmingstroke should begin. Theold
idea of feeling for the catch point is incorrect,
however. Fluid dynamic principles contradict
the popular notion that the hand attaches to a
fixed point in the water and levers the body
past it. Instead, one should feel the oncoming,
or relative,flow advance over the palm of the
hand and along the forearm.The hand always
encounters an oncoming flow of water.
The instant the fingertips enter the water
thereis a reactingflow thatcontinues throughout
the stroke. Like all fluids, water responds
immediately to any movement through it;like
all fluids, water changes shape under the action
of forces. These changes are known as
deformation and appear as elasticityand flow.
When a swimmerpropels efficiently, the flow
and the elasticity of the water will be felt as a
stretching effect.
Correct Manipulation
of the Hand
Swimming skill is dramatically increased by
learning the simple act of splitting the flow
withthefingers and hand throughoutthestroke.
Flow separation causes different patterns of
pressure to form around the hand. There is
always flow from an area of high pressure to
one of lower pressure in a correctly performed
stroke.Thiscauses abound circulationofwater
around the hand thatgenerates the propulsive
force. All one needs to do is to continue splitting
the flow to maintain this propulsive force.
The contour of the hand and the angle at
which it is held while splitting the flow will
affect the amount of propulsive pressure produced.
This is based on sound principles of
fluid dynamics. It is more efficient to split the
flow with the edges (either the fingertips or
sides) of the hand than to use the hand like a
paddle and pull with the palm of the hand flat
against the pressure resistance of the water.
When the edges of the hand are used tosplit
or separate the flow, the hand is used as a foil,
causing a fine, thin, shearingseparation at the
trailing edge rather than the broad, blunt,excessively
turbulentseparation thatresults from
the straight backward paddle action.
Toavoid pullingstraightbackward, thehand
is moved in a slightly curved path across the
line of forward progress (Counsilman 1971).
Another way of describing this action is tosay
that the hand is moved in the lateral,or transverse,
plane. (Of course, the path of the hand
actually moves in three planessimultaneously,
namely,the lateral,vertical,and horizontal.) By
moving the hand along a curved path a swimmer
will be able to tilt its leading edge slightly
upward, thuscreatinga foil-like effect that will
increase the pressure resistance on the palmof
the hand. In this manner, a swimmer can feel
the pressureofthe flow on the palm ofthe hand
without pulling directlybackward.
Pressure Sensations Caused by
Different Propulsive Mechanisms
The obvious question at this point is what the
differences are in the feel of the water between
using thehand asa foil and using itasa paddle.
When the hand is used as a foil, pressure resistance
is felt on the palm of the hand and the
flow is felt on the backs of the hands and
fingers, particularlyon theskin over theknuckles.
The water is also flowingover the palmof
the hand, but its presence is felt as pressure
resistance, not flow, because the water flows
more slowly over the palm of the hand than
over the knuckle side, thus creating an areaof
higher pressure. The swimmer feels this pressure
instead of the flow.
When the hand is used as a paddle, the
pressureresistance isalso felt on thepalmofthe
hand, but there is no sensation at all on the
knuckleside because theflow separates around
both edges of the hand, not one edge only(the
trailing edge) as in the foil-type method. Pulling
the hand like a paddle causes excessive
drag turbulence on the hand and results in
wasted energy when compared with the more
efficient foil-typemethod. Obviously,the previously
cited descriptions are inadequate to
Coaching the Feel of the Water 111
convey the tactilesensations("feel") ofmodern
strokemechanics.
Describing Flow Manipulation
Assuming a swimmer has been taught the
function of hand-forearm rotation and elbow
bending in manipulating the flow, the swimming
stroke should be taught as a working
sequence of "trap, wrap, and unwrap the
flow." This helps relate each important phase
of the stroke with the relative flow reaction. In
the crawl stroke this sequence works as fol-
lows:
1. The trap occurs as the arm enters the
water with elbow up and hand pitched diagonally
outward. The swimmer feels an oncoming
flow of water advance along the entire
undersurface of the arm from the palm of the
hand to the armpit. At this point the flow is
considered to be trapped under the arm.
2. The wrap occurs as the flow is wrapped
around the hand and forearm as they rotate
inward after ashort downward press.The wrap
is completed when the elbow reaches maximum
bend (approximately 90degrees) and the
hand has moved across under the body.
3. The unwrap occurs as the elbow extends
and the arm straightens. At the end of the
stroke the flow is finally unwrapped from the
forearm and hand as the stroke roundsout past
the hip joint.
The entire sequence of trap, wrap, and unwrap
occurs withina fraction of a second. The
swimmer is taughtto think of the sequence as
a very quickpassageof events. Each successive
phase happens with increasing speed to produce
the desired stroke acceleration(Counsilman
and Wasilak ]982). The precise application
of the trap, wrap, unwrap concept of flow
manipulation varies with each swimming
stroke.
Manipulating the Flow
at the Hand Entry
The way a swimmer controls the hand at entry
is usuallya first indicationof talent.The hand
entry of a talented swimmer often seems almost
leisurely. The swimmer feelsfor the moving
pressure of the oncomingflow and gradually
starts to apply force against it.Thehand of
the talented swimmer possessesacomplex sensitivity
(or, more accurately, a sensibility) that
almost seems to give it sight.
Thetalented swimmer appears topossessan
innate awareness of not only the exactspeed at
which to enter the hand but also how to time
the start of the stroke effectively. The hand
neither slows to a stop out in front of the
swimmer nor starts the stroke too soon, before
the oncoming flow has been accepted and
trapped under thearm.
The hand's first contact with the water at
entry is critically important.Coaches oftencorrect
the middle part ofa stroke beforechecking
to see if the entry has been made efficiently. If
the oncoming flow has not been engaged initially,
there is no sense in correcting a subsequent
phase of the stroke.
Anticipating the Oncoming Flow
Most faulty handling of the flow originates
from incorrect technique at entry. The entry
hand's forward motion into the water produces
an oncoming flow. If this flow is broken
upor disturbed atentry,theswimmer will have
difficulty manipulatingthe water during the
later phases of the stroke. A swimmer should
know in advance the nature of the pressure
sensation that will be experienced when the
hand enters. In this way a swimmer can anticipate
the oncoming flow and handle it effectively.
The aim is to insert the hand smoothly
into the oncoming flow and immediately feel
the flow move along the palm and under the
forearm and upper arm.
As mentioned earlier, the arm enters the
water with elbow up and hand pitched diagonally
outward. It is easy to imagine the hand
and arm in this position as being shaped similarly
to the side of a ship, which gradually
slopes backward from the bow and bulges at
the waist. By imaginingthis portion of a ship
moving forward under the water, cuttingthe
water sharply at the bow and channeling it
backward around and slightly under thehull,a
11B Breakthrough Swimming
swimmer willform agood concept of the function
of the hand at entry: The hand, pitched
diagonallyoutward asitenters,performs much
the same function as the bow of a ship.
Asstated before,the entry isthepreliminary
phase of the stroke—the trap phase—during
which the flow isallowed toadvance along the
undersurface of the arm as the swimmer maneuvers
it into position for the wrap phase.
Entry Errors
Unfortunately, a swimmer can easily commit
several errors at the hand entry that diminish
theefficiency of the stroke and cause the swimmer
to muscle through the water in a futile
attempt to gain purchase on it. Probably the
most harmful error istocrash the hand into the
entry, attemptingtostartthe strokebeforesubtly
accepting the oncoming flow.
Theeffect ofthis error can be understood by
imagining a fast naval destroyer equipped
with a guillotine-likedevice fixed to the bow
at a right angle to the oncoming flow. At
intervals, this guillotine suddenly drops into
the water and disturbs the flow. Theeffect is to
continually interrupt thevessel'sforward mo-
mentum.
A similar effect, surprisingly enough, can
frequently be seen in competitive swimmers—
even talented world-class ones—particularly
distance swimmers using an inertial type of
stroke.Asthestroke starts withwhat used tobe
called a dig-pull or chop-catch, the bow wave
drops, or splutters, indicating sudden interference
with the body's momentum.
Therationalebehind theinertial typeofhand
entry may be based on a technique used in
athletics and rowing. At the start of a stride, a
runner's foot is already moving backward to
maintain therunner'smomentum and prevent
jarring the foot on the ground. Similarly, a
rower'sbladetravels backwardbeforeitenters
the water.
If the dig-pull is based on this principle, it
cannot be applied successfully to swimming.
The body is not favorably positioned in the
water toperform such a technique; moreover, a
swimmer cannot generate sufficient speed to
achieve this effect.
Detecting the Stretching Effect
in the Oncoming Flow
Great emphasis and attention should be given
to adequate coaching of the entry phase of the
stroke. Engagingthe watercorrectlyat entryis
crucial to an effective stroke. The ship drill,
which will be explained presently, is designed
specifically to simulate the postureof the hand
and arm at entry and toteach aswimmer to feel
the movingpressure sensationoftheoncoming
flow.
The ship drill is perhaps the mostvaluable
drill I've ever used in coaching. It is extremely
effective in helping a swimmer form aconcept
of the entry phase of the stroke. As proficiency
in discerning the sensation ofmoving pressure
increases, itbecomespossible for a swimmerto
detect the stretching effect in the oncoming
flow.A swimmer learns to relate the amountof
stretch in the flow with swimming speed and
correct timing of the arms.
The Role of Touch
in Motor Learning
Skilled swimmerscreatea fast output of highquality
movements. Yet even whenswimming
at high speed, they frequently give the impression
of being unhurried. The expert seems to
have all the time in the world when compared
with the novice, whose forward progress is
more like a series of emergencies.
In skilled performance no surprises occur.
The swimmer is always ready for each changing
sequence of the stroke. Exact timing is an
obviouselement of skill,which largelyinvolves
the predictable repetition of many successive
movements in accurateand precisepatterns.
How are the components of each sequence
coordinated and organized? Wetend to think
of skill mainly in terms of movement. In describing
a swimming stroke, we focus onwhat
is done. The analysis usuallybreaks the action
down into detailed units of movement. This
represents the swimmer's output, but we tend
toignore the input,partlybecause itistakenfor
granted and partly because it is difficult or
impossible to observe directly.
Coaching the Feel of the Water 113
1 have often witnessed over an hour of stroke
instruction without hearing any reference to
the water or what a swimmer should feel.
Many otherwise excellent technical articles
make little or no reference to the water. Most
descriptions ofswimming techniqueneglect to
mention the role played by the water, the very
medium in which the activity takes place.
Many highly skilled swimmers cannot explain
why they perform as they do. They may
be unawareof the particular sensory inputthat
controls their activity, which may be why a
skilled swimmer is not always a particularly
good teacher. Usually, a skill is taught by demonstrating
how the desired movement should
look rather than by explaininghow it should
feel.
The more purposeful or skilled the movement,
the more itdependson sensory impulses,
which in swimming are primarily those associated
with vision and touch. In learning the
more precise movements of swimming, visual
information is essential while the degree of
muscle tension and amount of muscle contraction
are being delicately adjusted to the task, a
point we easily appreciateifwe try to learn any
precise movement with eyes shut.
Voluntary movements are modified by sensory
stimuli received from the skin, muscles,
and joints. Sensory impulses act at all times to
guide muscular contractions.The muscles are
under the direct and perfect control of the
motor neurons; these neurons never stimulate
the muscles to action except when influenced
to do so by other neurons.
Water pressure on the sensory nerve endings,
the sense of balance, and the relationship
of the limbshelpto produce a smoothly coordinated
stroke. Attention may be divided between
different kinds of sensory messages.
Confronted with a mass of available information,
a swimmer learns to notice only some of it
and ignoremuch that isirrelevant to theimmediate
task. Via the process of facilitation at the
synapses, repetition causes special pathways
tobe slowlylaid down so thatthe skilled movements
become moreaccurate.
Muscular movements are drivenby a servomechanism
similar in many respects to the
automated feedback systems used in modern
aircraft tocontrol variousmechanisms. Allthese
mechanisms have devices (sensors, we may
call them)thatmeasure some physicalvariable
and use this feedback information to control
the mechanisms that assist the pilot.
Modern aircraft controls are linked by
servomechanisms to either electric or hydraulic
actuators that automaticallymaintain the
aircraft at the chosen altitude and speed.
Servomechanisms sense an error (e.g., departure
from the intended course) and apply a
correction to the relevant control.Signals from
the sensor, called the misalignmentdetector,
activate a small servomotor (from the Latin
servus, meaningslave), which turns thecontrol
surface in the directionnecessary to correct the
misalignment. Thus, the procedures are performed
without the pilot's intervention.
Thepoint is that these devices function automatically
to help the pilot. Similarly, in coaching
the feel of the water, the aim is to allow a
swimmer to relyon only a minimumnumber of
consciously perceived cues and let automatic
feedback systemscontrolother functions of the
stroke without too much conscious effort.
The Use of Simultaneous
Visual and Tactile
Impressions
Thetraditionalemphasis when teaching a stroke
pattern to a novicehas been on the visual.I,too,
long believed that the sense of touch was usually
too imprecise to be the source of form and
shape in the early stages of learning. Furthermore,though
some people learn moreby means
of tactilefeedback whereas others receive more
beneficial informationvisually, it is difficult to
know whether this difference in perceptual
capacity among individualsis significant.
Over a period of about six years, I experimented
with developinga method ofcoaching
stroke technique that would involve using simultaneous
visual and tactile impressions. I
had long before become uncomfortable with
merely explaining the shape, form,and pattern
of a desired movement without being able to
relate its effect on the water. The aim of my
method is to teach a swimmer to relate each
114 Breakthrough Swimming
phase ofa swimming stroke with the feel of the
flowand thus obtaininstantfeedback on stroke
efficiency.
Thismethod allowsa certain amountof individuality.
At first, the learner is shown a few
sample flow-shaper skills and left alone to play
around with them in the water.
After a week or so, some instruction is begun,
usually individual. Not everyone isgiven
the same instruction because each learner is
directed to a particularphase of the stroke that
appears to need attention. This is generally
how the method is applied—not so much on
itemsof techniquebut on particularmovement
phases of the stroke.
Using visual and tactile impressions simultaneously
from the start in a definite teaching
format causes noted changes in the sensitivity
of the learnerto particular features of the swimming
stroke and its effect on the water.
Tactileperceptioncan bedeveloped to where
a swimmer can receive continuous feedbackon
propulsive effectiveness. Thisinformation helps
theswimmer tokeep adjustingand refining the
stroke at the delivery end to maintain efficiency.
For example, the link between seeing
the hand entering the water and bringing the
hand into contact with it is somehow obvious.
The hand just seems to move in the right way.
If the swimmer's hand is aliveand sensitive to
the feel of the water, it acts as a sensing device
that transforms the incoming signal into appropriate
action. Equally important is that the
swimmer has been taught not only to anticipate
the oncoming relative flow but also to
handle it in the most effective way.
The following sections contain descriptions
of the flow-shaping skillsand sensitizingtechniques
used in this conceptualizing process.
Flow Shapers
A flow shaper isan exercisethat teachesswimmers
to create and detect specific flows in the
water. It operates in much the same way as the
aircraft servomechanisms already described.
Flow shapers are remarkably effective in
helpingaswimmerautomatically find the most
effective path,posture,and attitude ofthe hand
and arm during a swimming stroke; for example,
they help theswimmer position thearm
correctly at entry,correct a dropped elbow, or,
for a butterfly swimmer,know whethertopull
wider or narrower. Most important, the flow
shaper helps aswimmer find the stroke pattern
that accords naturally with the characteristics
of individual physique.Someexamplesof flow
shapers follow.
The Ship Drill
Thisimportantexerciseteaches swimmers how
to insert their hands into the oncoming flow
prior to starting the swimming stroke. The
swimmer pushes off from the wall with body
outstretched and hands backtoback andtouching,
forminga shape akin to the prow ofa ship.
The swimmer will feel the oncomingflowproduced
by the pushoff as it advances along the
palms ofthe hands and under the forearmsand
upper arms to the armpits. Thepressure sensation
of the oncoming flow can be prolonged by
continuing momentum with the dolphin kick
or by using fins (figure 6.1).
Figure 6.1 The ship drill: (a) ship drill posture
and (b} action of the ship's prow.
Coaching the Feel of the Water 115
Theship drill should be performed daily. Itis
more valuable than any other procedure in
teaching a swimmer to feel and recognize the
oncoming flow.
Beginning in the ship-drill position, the
freestyle stroke should be started with elbow
up, palm turned outward and pressing downward
in a curved, diagonal motion. The palm
gradually rotates inward as the hand moves
inward in the lateral plane toward the center
line of the body. During this motion the hand
and forearm rotate as a unit. This motion
changes the direction of the oncoming flow as
it is wrapped around the hand and forearm in
a strong swirl.
The swimmer should concentrate on bending
the elbow toapproximately 90degreesor as
much as feels comfortable. As the elbow bend
increases, some swimmers may turn the palm
of the hand slightly upward toward the chest to
obtain maximum forearm rotation, but such
extreme rotation may feel comfortable only to
tall, lean swimmers.
Destroyer-Ocean Liner-Barge Drill
Practice ship drills with hands in the threedifferent
positions shown in figure 6.2.These drills
show swimmers how the changingpostures of
the hands and arms cause a transition from
streamlined flow to turbulent (resistive) flow. In
figure 6.2a there is a free movement of the oncoming
flow felt on the palms of the out-turned
hands and along the forearms. In figures 6.2b
and 6.2c, the flow gradually becomes more resistiveas
the hand and forearm posturechanges.
Half-Ship Drill
Use this drill to enhance feel of the flow at hand
entry, especially for swimmerswho experience
difficulty in feeling the flow. The swimmer
kicks while wearing fins and holding one arm
out front simulating the entry posture. The
hand should be pitched diagonally outward
and the elbow up; the other arm is held at the
side. The swimmer should feel for the oncoming
flow.
Tunnel Flow, or A-OK
Press the thumb against the forefinger to
form a tunnel through which the flow is
channeled as the hand changes direction in
the stroke (figure 6.3). This exercise effectively
teaches flow recognition and how to
angle the hands efficiently; in fact, it often
will groove a stroke pattern automatically.If
a butterfly swimmer's pull is too wide or
narrow, for example, this exercise will direct
the swimmer accordingly.
Figure 6.3 Tunnel flow, or A-OK.
This exercise also indicates if a crawl swimmer
is allowing the elbow to drop during the
pullbecause, ifso,the flow will notpassthrough
the tunnel. In fact, this drill should be used in
all strokes. Swimmers may try forming the
tunnel with one hand while keeping the other
hand closed. When both hands are opened and
used in the normalfashion,however, thehand
that was closed will be found also to have
improved its feel.
Figure 6.2 Ship drill variations: (a) destroyer;
(b) ocean liner; (c) barge.
116 Breakthrough Swimming
Piano Playing
In this exercise the swimmer pretends to play
the piano by using individual finger movements
while swimming.This helps the swimmer
feel how separatefingermovements influence
flow channeling (figure 6.4).
Figure 6.4 Piano playing.
Sensitizing the Sensory
Nerve Endings
In developing this method I soon realized that
there'snodifficulty inincreasing thesensibility
of the nerve endings. There are many methods
toachievethis,includingthe rehabilitative techniques
used after hand surgery, the touch
method for learning to type, and the methods
used to learn to read Braille. The heightened
tactilesensibilitymustbe related to the various
sequences of the swimming stroke, however.
The swimmer should be able to recognize and
interpret the feel of moving pressure against
the hand and forearm during every phase of
the swimming stroke.
Avast literatureexistson the complex neurological
functions of the human hand, which, as
we know,is a truly remarkableinstrument. Because
of the complexityof the subject,Idecided
to concentrateon a few aspects that I thought
most germane to my purpose. I found the experiments
ofA. Lee Dellon (Dellon,Curtis, and
Edgerton 1974)particularly valuable.As late as
1972, Dellon showed that the sense of touch
could be divided into two main areas: moving
(transient) touchand constant(or static)touch.
Using this distinction, I experimented with
sensitizing techniques for swimming that alternate
the application of transient and static
pressures. I found that such techniques as applying
different pressures (includingstaticand
transient pressures), rubbing the hands and
forearms in the desired flow directions,using a
loofah asasensitizing device, and severalother
procedures quickly stimulated the sensory
nerve endings.
Interestingly, sensitivity to the water appears
to decrease as a workout progresses,
even for talented swimmers. There also appear
to be day-to-day variations. I can only
guess at the reason for this—perhaps fatigue
or overstimulation of the sensory nerve end-
ings.
Although swimmers have little or no difficulty
in learning to recognize the oncoming
(distal) flow at hand entry, some encounter
difficulty in recognizing the subsequent flows
(radial,ulnar,and proximal) set up by thehand
and forearm as they move through the swimming
stroke. This can be overcomebyteaching
swimmers to rub the hand and forearm in the
direction of the appropriate flow.
I borrowed from the biomechanistsanother
very effective procedure. Instead of videotaping
swimmers underwater after they have
learned their stroke mechanics, I videotape
them while they are learning. Instead of the old
method of practicing on land in front of a
mirror, they practice—still on land—in front of
video monitors while they are being videotaped
simultaneouslyfrom front and side.Three
large electric fans (kept well away from the
water for safety) are placed around the swimmer
to simulatethe reactingflows of thewater
that occur during the various stages of the
swimming stroke.Should a swimmer have difficulty
in sensing the flow, the palm ofthehand
and forearm are wiped with a damp cloth to
heighten the sense of touch.
A swimmer can thus simultaneously see
front and side views ofthe strokeon the monitors
and feel a simulation of the reacting flow.
In addition, the swimmercan receiveinstruction
while this is happening. The three stages
of visualize, verbalize, and feel (Counsilman
1968) can occur almost simultaneously.
I
Coaching the Feel of the Water 117
Sensitizingproceduresdramatically enhance
a swimmer's feel of the water and should be an
everyday feature ofthe workout. Great emphasisshould
beplaced on sensitizing the hands to
the feel of the water, and the hands should
remain sensitized throughout the workout.
When questioned, even talented swimmers
admit that their feel of the water tends to diminish
as they progress through a workout,
however. Whenever sensitivity to the water
seems to lessen, a swimmer should resensitize
the hands so that the sense of touch becomes
more acute as the workout continues.
Fist Clenching
The nerve endings on the palms quickly become
highly sensitized when subjected to contrasts
between static and transient pressures.
Thus, if a swimmerclenches the fists tightly for
two or three minutes before starting a swim,
the sensory nerve endings overcompensate in
reaction to the static pressure. When the hands
are opened again, they are particularly sensitive
to the pressure of the moving flow.
Swimmers should sensitize the hands at the
beginning of every workout by swimming the
first 200meters withtheirfists tightly clenched.
Because they will feel that they are slipping the
water, they should pull a little more slowly
while doing this exercise, concentrating on
keeping tightly clenched fists. The swimmer
should start the stroke with wrist turned outward,
thumbdown, and emphasize hand-forearm
rotation throughoutthe stroke whilebending
the elbow to approximately 90 degrees in
midstroke.
Fistswimmingwasnamedby thegreat stroke
technician Howard Firby. Firbyrecommended
fist swimming to develop "the feel of pulling
not only with the hands but with the forearms
as well" and to correct dropped elbows and
induce the "over the barrel" feeling of the pull
(Firby 1975, page 15).
My rediscovery of fist swimming resulted
from reading Dellon's reports and from my
desire to develop as a sensitizing procedure a
method ofapplyingcontrasting staticand transient
pressures on the sensory nerve endingsof
thehand.Clenchingand then opening thehand
was a natural choice. I also use fist swimming
to show how hand-forearm rotation develops
flow circulation. My personal belief, however,
is that the greatest value of fist swimming is as
a sensitizing procedure for stimulating the sensory
nerve endings of the palms of the hands.
An effective exercise forsensi tizingthe hands
and feet is to swim a set distance by alternating
fist swimming and overkicking (kickingwith
more force than necessary) on successive lapsof
thepool. Thiscan alsobea demanding workout.
Another variation is to swim with one hand
clenched while keeping the other hand open.
This contrasts the static pressure on the closed
hand with the transient pressure on the open
hand, increasing the swimmer's awareness of
the water's flow reactions.
The breaststroke and butterfly should frequently
be swum with fists clenched. While
pullinginthe breaststroke,theswimmer should
use a slight dolphin kick for counterbalance.
Emphasis should be on hand-forearm rotation
and elbow bending because this action develops
the flow circulation necessary for propulsion.
Thisdrill highlightsthesurprisingamount
of propulsion thismechanism candevelop even
when the hands are not open to provide as
much propulsion as possible. Although the
forearms do not provide a great amount of
propulsion, their rotation is necessary and significant
in setting up the desired flow circulation.
When the hand is open, the hand and
forearm work as a unit. The hand is capable of
developing more efficient circulation than the
forearm because it has a more favorable shape
and canbe manipulated on the wristwith more
dexterity and through a larger range of movement.
When the hand and forearm are used as
a unit, they form a most effective mechanism
for setting up flow circulation.
Fingertip Pressing
These exercises sensitize the fingertips to the
oncoming flow as the hands enter the water.
1. Press each fingertip in turn against the
thumb (figure 6.5).
2. Now use both hands. Press the fingertips
of one hand against those of the
other. Press hard and repeat frequently.
118 Breakthrough Swimming
3. Now press each fingertip of one hand
separatelyagainst itscounterpart on the
other hand. This developsdexterity.
4. Press thefingertips hard against thepool
deck while waitingfor the start of next
training set.
Simultaneous Sensitization to
Static and Transient Pressure
The hand can be held in a variety of postures
during swimming to sensitize fingers, individually
or in groups, to the sensation ofmoving
pressure. Keeping the palm closed sensitizesitviastaticpressure.
Theseexercisesgreatly
sensitize the hands to the feeling of moving
pressure once normal swimming is resumed
(figure 6.6).
Figure 6.5 Fingertip pressing.
Figure 6.6 Simultaneous sensitization to static
and transient pressure.
Coaching the Feel of the Water 119
Hand-Rubbing Exercises
Swimmers find hand-rubbing exercises very
effective in sensitizing the hands to recognize
precise flow reactions. Rubbing one hand
against the other can simulate a desired flow
direction, which helps make each phase of the
stroke consistently efficient.
1. Rub one hand against the other from
the fingertips along the palm to the
wrist and forearm. This teaches the
feel of the oncoming flow as the hand
enters the water and is inserted into
the oncoming flow at the start of the
stroke.
2. Rub one hand across the other hand in
the desired direction to simulate transverse
(lateral) flows as they occur in
either an inward or outward pitch of the
hands.
3. Rub one hand along the other down the
palm to the fingertips to simulate the
finish of the stroke.
The Use of a Loofah
as a Sensitizing Device
A highly effective method of sensitizing the
entire body to the flow of the water is to scrub
the skin lightly with a dry loofah immediately
before every practice or competition. (A loofah,
or luffa, resembles an elongated sponge
and is coarse and fibrous. It is the fruit of a
herbaceous plant, luffa cylindrica.) The swimmer
should scrub the entire body and, in particular,
perform a routine in which one arm is
held overhead while the loofah is rubbed from
the fingertips down the palm of the hand,
along the undersurface of the arm, and down
the side of the trunk to the hips; the procedure
should be repeated on the other side of the
body. This exercise will sensitize the hand,
arm, and trunk side to the oncoming flow of
the water. After several days of using a loofah
this way, most swimmers experience a noted
improvement in their sensitivity to the flow of
the water.
DailyApplicationofthe Method
In applying the method todaily practice, focus
on three areas: flow manipulation, stroke timing,
and flow-shaper drills and sensitization.
Forflow manipulation, swimmers should be
taught always to feel they are inserting the
hands into the oncoming flow instead of attacking
the water and trying to push itdirectly
backward. After feeling the oncoming flow,
swimmers should be told to wrap, or swirl, the
flow around the arm by graduallyrotating the
hand and forearm. The elbow at maximum
bend should reach approximately 90 degrees
and be comfortable to the swimmer; if it is not
comfortable, adjust the amount of elbow bend
to suit the swimmer.
After some practice,swimmers will improve
in stroke efficiency and be able to recognize
weak spots in the stroke through tactile feedback
from the flow reaction.Theycaneliminate
weak spots by experimenting with theamount
of hand-forearm rotation and the degree of
elbow bend they perform.
The timing of the stroke depends greatlyon
the desired speed. Swimmers should be told
that the entry hand, palm turned outward,acts
as a sensor, or radar, as it accepts the oncoming
relative flow and helps them know exactly
when to start applying force at the beginningof
the stroke. The amount of oncoming flow to
accept before starting the stroke depends on
thepaceand strokelengtheachswimmerwishes
to establish.
Feeling the differences in pressure on the
entry hand at various speeds helps the swimmers
learn pacing. Feeling the oncoming flow
is an important element in learning split-second
timing.The swimmers should be taughtto
think momentum. By feeling the amount of
stretch in the flow, each swimmer learns to
judge the body's momentum and know when
to start the stroke. For example, in a short race,
the stroke may be started after allowing the
flow to move along only as far as the wrist.
Over a longer distance and at a slower speed,a
swimmer may let the oncoming flow move
along the forearm beforestarting intothe stroke.
12O Breakthrough Swimming
Swimmers should do flow-shaper drills and
sensitizing procedures every day as part of the
regular workout. Fist swimming should be
done in all strokes at slow and fast speeds.
Swimmers should always start the stroke with
the hand turned outward. The fists should be
tightly clenched throughout. Fist swimming in
the breaststroke and butterfly is particularly
effective for coaching effective hand-forearm
rotation and elbow flexion and also has a positive
transfer to the other strokes.
Swimmers should be aware thatsensitivity
to flow will vary from day to day. Every workout
should start with skin sensitization—hand
rubbing, the use of a loofah, fist swimming,
tunnel flow (A-OK), and fingertip-pressing
exercises.Everynow and thenduringtheworkout,
swimmers should push off from the pool
side using the ship-drill posture instead of the
conventional locked hands. These.occasional
ship pushoffs enable swimmers to test hand
sensitivity to the pressure of the oncoming
flow.
Swimmers should resensitize their hands
during the workout, especially during the
middle stages of the workout or at the onsetof
fatigue. Ifthis isdone,swimmerswill complete
the workout with a greater feel for the water.
The coach should not permit swimmers to regard
these procedures as a passing fad because
over the weeks and months, most swimmers
will experience a pronounced improvement in
technique resultingfrom theirenhanced ability
to feel and manipulate the flow of the water.