Tip of the Week: Finishing Your Stroke

March 2, 2008

Many athletes new to swimming get confused about how to do the finish of the stroke.  Throughout the catch and pull, your hand stays at a relatively constant 180 degree angle relative to your forearm.  But if you carry this angle through the finish, you get no extra benefit in the last few degrees of motion as your hand exits the water.

You should change the angle of your hand very quickly from 180 degrees to 90 degrees in the final few inches of the stroke.  Then you should shrug your arm towards your feet for the final 3-4 inches of arm movement.  The 90 degree angle keeps the surface of your hand perpendicular to the motion, which allows you to grab as much water as possible at the end of your stroke.  When your hand exits the water, rotate it back to 180 degrees relative to your forearm again.  See figure below for details.

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