In this video lesson, Swimming Instructor, Peter Elizondo, teaches keeping the hands closed like a paddle when swimming.

Video Transcript: "In this section we're going to be covering the fifth step for freestyle swimming. So, on the fifth step, you obviously are--I showed you how to do the lower part of your body, and now we're going to be using the upper part of the body. In conjunction you're going to use both. So, to begin off, your hands, you just want to make sure there's no open hands. Never open hands when you swim. They're going to be closed hands like this, so like a paddle. Your hands are your paddles. And on this fifth step, what you want to remember is, as you're learning how to swim, you want to make sure that your hands are always closed. A lot of times people are not used to it, so you try to grab out to the water. And when you're doing that, first off, you're just hitting the water and you're not pulling anything. So, I mean you're pretty much swimming about sixty percent less than what you could be. So, with your hands closed like paddles, you're going to be grabbing onto the water, and you're going to be able to push that much more further. So, on this fifth step I'm really just teaching you the techniques of how you should have your hands, which is one of the most important things that is always continuously repeated throughout the whole entire lesson. So, your hands are the biggest things. Remember, no open hands--closed. All right, in this section we're going to show with the hands closed. So, really just your hands closed, round up moving your arms into the water, and always make sure you have your hands closed. Never any open hands. So, nothing like that, because, obviously you can see, you're not really grabbing into the water. You want to make sure that your hands are closed."

1. How to Float in Water
2. How to Flutterkick for Freestyle Swimming
3. How to Flutterkick Away from the Wall in Swimming
4. How to Flutterkick with Head in the Water
5. Swimming with Hands Closed
6. How to Use the Arms in Freestyle Swimming
7. How to Pull the Body in Freestyle Swimming
8. Breathing Techniques in Swimming
9. Breathing Counts in Swimming
10. Freestyle Swimming Strokes

In this course, Instructor Peter Elizondo gives 10 easy video lessons with swimming tips and techniques for freestyle swimmers or beginners. Learn how to swim the freestyle stroke in this free swimming video. Topics covered in this series of videos are: Floating in Water, Flutterkicking, Breathing Techniques, different types of Strokes and many more.