If you’ve been around here long enough, you know that your propulsive phase - made up of your catch, power phase, and finish - is something I talk about until the cows have been home for well over a few hours. Heck, those cows have been home for days if we’re being honest about it. BUT I do this because your propulsive phase provides you with about 70-80% of your forward propulsion. And that’s not too shabby if you ask me. So maybe one day I won’t have to give background about why this is so important (although I doubt it), but for now I think that’s a pretty good foundation to start from. Which brings me to the real meat of today’s blog burger, how Two Finger Press Drill helps you better understand this forward propulsion.
The propulsion we’re looking for comes from the paddle you create with your forearm, from your fingertips all the way to your elbow. This paddle is created when you set your catch as soon as your hand has entered the water. It might seem easy to understand on paper, but when put into practice this can be pretty difficult to achieve, especially if you don’t know the feeling you’re looking for. Enter Two Finger Press Drill.
This drill is very simple, all you need to do is allow your first two fingers to stay extended and curl the other two fingers and your thumb into the palm of your hand. This movement takes the majority of your hand out of the equation so you can get a better feeling of the water your pushing back against with your paddle. For this drill specifically, you want to focus on the feeling of the water on your fingers and forearm.
Make sure you keep this hand position held firmly to really feel the difference. You want to focus on the feeling of the water on your fingers and forearm from your catch, to your power phase, and all the way through to your finish. If you let your elbow drop, you’ll lose your paddle and won’t feel any pressure from the water at all. You want to keep maintain keeping your elbow forward and up to create and hold your paddle, which will put you into the right position to feel the propulsion you’re creating.
This might sound weird at first, because how can taking three fingers, excuse me, two fingers and a thumb, out of the equation really make all that much difference? Trust me, it’s going to feel weird. You’re going to feel like you can’t catch at all, and you may lose balance initially, but you’ll get used to it. One thing to keep in mind is that it’s very easy to feel the pressure of the water on your fingers/hand, but a bit more difficult to feel on your forearm.
Take this drill slow at first, at least until you’re certain you can feel the water pressure on your fingers and forearm. If you don’t feel the pressure, make sure your elbow is staying forward and up in order to properly set and keep your paddle. This drill is great to do during your warmup, and even in the middle of practice if you feel you’re getting tired and losing technique. Take a look at our YouTube Video to see the drill in action!
