{"id":464,"date":"2022-01-12T10:45:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T10:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aquaticglee.com\/?p=464"},"modified":"2023-07-27T03:57:29","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T03:57:29","slug":"swimming-sculling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aquaticglee.com\/swimming-sculling\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Sculling in Swimming? How to do it + Drills & Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your hands play an important role in water. They act as paddles. When placed in an ideal position and with certain movements in water, your hands can lift you up, move you forward, backward, or sideways. The whole idea of using your hands in swimming is referred to as sculling. It basically allows you to feel the water and act accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While sculling is mostly combined with certain leg kicks to help you float with your head above the surface of the water, this hand skill is vital in improving your swimming technique, as its fundamentals are at the core of most swimming strokes and water sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to find what exactly sculling is, how to scull properly, types, why it is important, drills and exercises to improve your technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Sculling in Swimming?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

 In swimming, sculling is moving your hands in different directions and at certain angles to maximize surface area for effective propulsion and lift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This hand skill lets swimmers and other water sports players feel the water pressure, by focusing on the pitch or angle of the hands in the water. The pitch dictates your direction and speed in the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning how to scull properly develops your sensitivity to the water in your palms. This helps you understand when and where to apply pressure during the strokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the most common variation of sculling is the one where the upper body is in a vertical position with the head above the surface of the water, there are other sculling types including, horizontal, head first, feet first and front\/or catch. All these variations depend on the desired stroke and the outcome of the stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Scull Water-Vertical<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because sculling is a hand skill, the orientation of the palms matters a lot. It is all about the angle and direction of your hands. You also need to relax as much as possible. Keeping that in mind, the following are the steps to scull while in an upright position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Get into the shallow end of the pool. Find a depth where you can keep your head above water whilst you kneel.<\/li>
  2. With your head and part of the neck just above the water, extend out your arms to the side to a horizontal plane.<\/li>
  3. While on the horizontal plane, move your forearms inwards towards your front without touching. The palms should face forward, tilted at about 45 dgrees, with your thumbs a little up.<\/li>
  4. Still maintaining the horizontal plane, move the arms backwards as much as you\u2019re comfortable doing. As you move the hand out, tilt the palms, such that they face out, slightly downwards, at about 45 degrees, your pinky fingers a little up.<\/li>
  5. Repeat the inward and outward movements enough to raise your knees off the bottom.<\/li>
  6. Once you can comfortably float in the shallow water, you advance to the deep of the pool. Have your feet directly underneath you, toes pointing straight down, then start the sculling action.<\/li>
  7. To float for longer periods, combine the sculling motion with leg kicks (treading water<\/a>) to increase your buoyancy.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"arm
    Arm Movements<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

     Tips<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Turn your palms in the direction that your arms are moving.<\/li>
    • Keep your back straight. Don\u2019t lean forward or backward.<\/li>
    • Do not move your palms up and down.<\/li>
    • Vary the width of your stroke: sometimes let your hands stay far apart, and sometimes let them almost touch.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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