Here’s the third and final installment of the Kettlebell Swing Mistakes and Fixes series – in this one, I’ll cover how to fix the common range of motion problem I see in the kettlebell Swing. If you missed the first two posts in this series, make sure to check those out, too – I’ll provide links to them at the end of this article.
As I discus in the video below, the Swing mistake here is not getting the ‘bell far enough back as the weight comes down between the legs and is ‘hike passed’ back:
The fix to the mistake discussed in the video is to think about getting the bottom of the ‘bell to face the wall behind you as it comes down and back. This will allow a larger range of motion and enable you further to ‘pull’ on the KB, thus the ability to generate more force – resulting in a more powerful Swing.
The second fix to this problem (that I don’t cover in the video above) is the towel drill. What you’d do is assume the bottom position of the Swing with a towel in your hands instead of a kettlebell. You need a towel about 18-24 inches long, and you should be grabbing in the middle of the towel so the ends are hanging down loose. Freeze in this bottom-of-the-Swing position, and then either have a partner grab the towel from the back, or loop the towel around something directly behind you to anchor it. Take a small step forward to put tension on the towel – and get the ‘feel’ for that ideal Swing position.
In summary, the third kettlebell Swing mistake is quite simply improper range of motion. The fix mentioned in the video above, as well as the towel drill, are two solutions to this problem. Encorporate these two drills into your kettlebell Swing practice to improve your form today – and keep training hard!
Forest Vance, Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor
P.S. If you missed the first two parts of this post series, the links below will take you to them:
Kettlebell Swing Mistakes And Fixes (part 1)
Kettlebell Swing Mistakes And Fixes (part 2)
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