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Many triathletes struggle with their arm pulls in the water. While a back-and-forth S-shaped pulling pattern<\/a> used to be the model technique, pulling straight back is now considered the best way to swim fast freestyle. <\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s actually a simpler skill, yet many triathletes struggle to make it happen, even if they\u2019re trying to fix it! It seems like that no matter what they try to do, their hands keep sliding back and forth.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, using more focus and more discipline isn\u2019t really going to solve the problem. That\u2019s because it\u2019s not a pulling problem, it\u2019s a balance problem<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re swimming, you\u2019re suspended in a fluid without anything solid to grasp onto. There\u2019s no point of stability. If you can\u2019t find stability in the water, you\u2019re going to do whatever you can find that stability.<\/p>\n That includes using your arms to find stability, even if you want to use them to pull! When your arms are sliding back and forth, they\u2019re acting to keep you stable in the water.<\/p>\n If you want to pull straight and pull effectively, you must learn how to find stability without using your arms.<\/p>\n The first step to straightening out your arm pull is to learn to find stability in the water. There are two components to this skill.<\/p>\n The first is that you must be able to feel your lungs supporting you in the water. Your lungs are your ultimate source of stability, and you need to be able to feel them first. This exercise below is great for feeling this support.<\/p>\nHow to pull straight and effectively though the water<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Get stable<\/strong><\/h3>\n