Fist Gloves |
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Fistgloves are a recent innovation and you can check out their web site.
They are available in glove sizes, made of latex and shaped like a fist. The fist glove alleviates the wearer from any physical or mental effort to hold their hand in a fist and thus prevents the use of hands when swimming. Swimming without the use of the hands focuses attention on raising the elbow which ensures using the forearm for propulsion. There is typically a feeling of helplessness when using fist gloves for the first time since most swimmers typically only rely upon using their hands to propel themselves through the water. The fist glove also promotes that elusive feel of the water which is caused by the hypersensitivity after the gloves are removed. By enhancing the kinesthetic sense, the average swimmer can learn movements and subtle nuances that the physically gifted swimmer does instinctively. If you saw the introduction on Qiqong in the ancient art page, even the Qiqong Masters say that when a fist is made, one's Qi is directed back into the body. When the hands are finally opened, there is an enhanced rush of Qi out of the hands (which also explains the power behind Kung Fu). If you want to check out how much you rely only on your hands, try this drill. Swim normal freestyle but concentrate on keeping your hand in a fist. When you keep your hands in a fist, remember to use your forearm for propulsion by keeping your elbow high (ie elbow higher than the hand throughout the pull). Try swimming, say, 300M by changing the positions of your fingers with every 50M. To start with, swim the first 50M with fists closed. The next 50M with only the pinkies (little fingers) sticking out, 3rd 50M with pointing fingers only sticking out, 4th 50M with pinky+pointer fingers, 5th 50M with forefingers+thumbs in with remaining fingers out and then for the final 50M, the regular finger position. Since this drill helps to feel and differentiate the different parts of your hands and forearms in the water, by the time you get to the final 50M, you should feel like you have sensitive paddles on your hands. |
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