Kettlebell Swing: Are You Making These Mistakes?

The kettlebell swing is the basis of all other movements in Kettlebell Sport. If your swing does not abide by the laws of physics, you can bet your grip is not going to last 10 minutes.

Mistake #1: Pulling the bell up too fast / Interrupting the pendulum

If the bell is flipping up towards your butt in the backswing, it's an indicator that you are pulling the bell back up before it completes its pendulum. You are working against the force of gravity and causing more pulling to occur on your hand and forearm. To correct, relax your working arm to reach farther through and give the bell time to move forward on its own, before guiding it up with the hips.

The bell should look like this at the end of your backswing:

Mistake #2:  Gripping the bell WAY too tight

Yes, you are swinging an heavy weighted ball around and your instinct is to grip it tight so it doesn't fly out of your hand and injure you or someone else. BUT, in order to improve your swing, you must fight that instinct. At the top of the swing, try to quickly open and close your fingers to release the tension in your forearm. This will keep your grip from fatiguing as quickly and help you push your hand through the handle into the correct position when it comes time to clean and snatch.

Don't forget about your hook grip!

Have more questions about the swing or Kettlebell Sport in general? Leave a comment below and I'll address the issue in a future post!

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