All Strokes - Trailing-Hands Sculling

Watch the great swimmers' hands, and you'll see how soft they are when they swim.   They're always searching to find that constant connection with the water.

Why Do It:
Sculling in all directions helps you develop a better feel for the water.  Strapless sculling, or using paddles that have limited connection to the hands, helps you feel the press of the scull, while still focusing on having the palms turned in the correct direction.

How to Do It:
1.  Start with you feet behind you, on your back.
2.  Start to scull with your fingertips facing UP.  If you do this right, you should move backward.
3.  Now simply turn the fingertips DOWN.  If you do this right, you should move forward, toward the feet.
4.  Remember:  This isn't pulling.  Don't sweep your hands around like this swimmer is doing.
5.  Sweep back and forth with the hands while keeping the shoulders and elbows as still as possible.

How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):
Remain completely still with everything except the lower arm.  Keep the body steady, the arms, the head... remain like a rock except for the lower arms and hands.  If you have to kick to keep the feet up, sometimes a pull buoy can help further isolate what you're focusing on.