At West Side we use one type of paddle for our technique and strength training. We use the TYR Catalyst paddles and over the years I have had so much success with them. All West Siders are not allowed to use their wrist straps on their paddles as it tends to create a weak finish on the stroke. So we remove the wrist strap and then swimmers are forced to finish with their hand vertical and recover as such or else it flips off. What we see here in the next picture is our beginner/intermediate hand strap position.

Starter Strap Positition

This keeps the paddle very stable on the hand and still allows for the swimmer to feel the water. Once swimmers have used paddles enough to graduate to the advanced position, we remove the thumb cross strap and they move to the single strap configuration show in the next picture.

Advanced Strap Position

This creates the flattest possible hand position on the paddle and prevents “spidering” which is what we call it when swimmers bend their knuckles up so as to “spider” the paddle. See the next picture for an example of “spidering”. Spidering is bad.

Spidering

What I have found over the years is that swimmers who spider tend to have a cupped hand entry or, in worse cases, a clawed hand entry. The single strap position, as you can see in the next picture, allows for the flattest hand entry possible and when the swimmers take the paddles off, its very easy for them to emulate the same position and get into an early vertical catch without much of a loss of feeling between having the paddles on or off.

Flat Position

So that’s how we use paddles in normal every day life. What I am talking about today is the “paddle hold” drill. I can not remember which day I came up with this but I remember why I came up with it. I had a swimmer who, no matter what I did, always “clawed” her entry with splayed fingers pointing downwards. So I had to get into drastic measures…I find that whenever its time for drastic measures I usually end up creating some crazy one-off drill to solve the issue. In this case, the results I saw were so awesome that I had the whole team do it. What a difference!!!

The paddle hold drill consists of…well…holding your paddle at the base. You can see what I mean in the next two pictures below below.

Paddle Hold Basic

Now, the point of this drill is to force the flat hand entry and drill the hand position into the swimmer. All it requires is light pressure on both sides of the paddle and then the swimmer needs to swim as normally as possible. We do several repetitions of this and then they drop the paddle and go into a build or swim. I usually like to do a 200 or 400 build right after to see how long they can hold the position.

Now there are dangers to this drill. Swimmers can let their wrist get too loose and end up entering with a down bevel or up bevel as seen in the next two pictures below. You have to be vigilant as they do this drill to ensure this does not happen. You will be able to see it pretty well and if swimmers complain of hand cramps, its because they have a bevel and therefore have to squeeze the paddle hard to keep it from slipping up or down on entry.

Down Bevel

Up Bevel

Additional benefits of this drill were not realized until I had analyzed it for some time. That’s when I noticed that swimmers who normally did not have a strong early vertical forearm were doing it naturally. I would point this out to them of course and they would deny it but it was there. It was a beautiful thing to watch. So if you have a swimmer having difficulties with EVF, this is also a potent drill to try. What will happen to the swimmers is shown in the pictures below.

EVF Start

EVF Push Through

I can not vouch for this drill for other types of paddles but I can assume that with paddles like Stroke Masters and Speedo’s you could do the same though probably slightly more difficult. Good luck!