Should I Cup my Hands When I Swim?
I get the question about cupping your hands when you swim ALL THE TIME.
The quick answer is: no. When you are pulling the water, you want to make sure your hand is relaxed. The best way I have heard it described is this:
Think about the last time you stuck your hand out the window of a moving car and played with the wind. As you changed the shape, angle and position of your wrist and fingers, you could feel the pressure of the wind change. The same concepts apply to your hand shape underwater.
The goal while you’re swimming is to create the largest surface area with the fingers, thumb and palm. The larger the paddle is, the greater the pulling force that can be applied during each stroke. Creating the largest paddle possible isn’t just about flattening the fingers and thumb together. (source)
Check out that entire article for a more thorough, science-based explanation for why this is. But the bottom line is you want to keep your hand relaxed. Avoid cupping your hands, squeezing your thumb to your palm or fingers together, or spreading your fingers out wide.
A good way to get a feel for this yourself:
Scull - put a pull buoy on and scull one length of the pool. Play with your hand position and see which one gets you moving the best.
Tread water upright - try to get as high out of the water as you can. Pay attention to what your hands do to give you the most propulsion.
…or you could just trust us.
I would also like to RE-EMPHASIZE: don’t overthink this. Relaxing in the water is one of the most important parts of being an efficient swimmer, so don’t get too tangled up in any one of the details. If this is something you struggle with just make sure you do a few laps every time you are in the pool focusing on your hands, and when you are doing longer sets try to remember to incorporate it into your stroke. The more you practice, the faster it will become second nature.
Some additional resources that might be helpful:
The Best Hand Position for Swimming (article)