Old Forum The "free" arm in 1A Swings

[camaro hair]

My question might seem nit-picky, but how exactly should the "free" arm finish when doing a 1A Swing? Does it follow through and float briefly as with the working arm?

Pavel mentioned the "on-guard" position in the S&S book but I'm not sure exactly what that means? Yesterday while practicing Swings I kept getting distracted by this, so I thought I'd post. Thanks.

 

[Jason Paul]

I'm focusing on my hips, hamstrings, and glutes at the bottom, on tightening my glutes and abs at the top, and on keeping my shoulders square and packed throughout the swing. I don't even know what my free arm is doing.

 

[Pavel]

Chris, you can finish in the on-guard position; you can also touch the top of the hand working the bell to assure you are staying square.  I believe it was Tracy Reifkind's idea.

 

[camaro hair]

Excellent, Pavel. Very helpful!

 

[jtgeor]

Chris,  I am relatively inexperienced when it comes to KB and all the various techniques but I bring my free arm up to my chest which I believe is what they are referring to as the on-guard position.

I will try Pavel's suggestion with the free hand resting on top of working hand.   Staying square has been one of my issues with the 1a swing.

 

[DaveM]

Chris, the picture on the cover of the S&S book shows Pavel's non-weighted (left) hand in the on-guard position if you wish to try that rather than touch the weighted hand while the bell floats.

 

[suroeh]

I feel a considerable improvement in form and force development with this variation:

- The free arm moves parallel to the spine, fully stretched up to the finger tips, shoulder& elbow locked.

- The 'free' hand holds the same distance to the ground as the working hand. Downwards I move the 'free' hand forcefully like pushing an imaginary 2nd bell backwards, of course without touching the bell.

So watching me from behind you would see my free arm all the time (moves like a pendulum parallel to the body).

The working hand moves as much as possible on the center line (spine).

I feel this increases tension, keeps the shoulders easier in parallel and makes the excentric (downward) faster, crisper.