One of the most popular suggestions given to runners is that they should keep the thumb and index finger lightly touching one another. Some coaches maintain that you should feel like you’re letting handfuls of sand run through your fingers.
Still others say that you should pretend that you’re holding a potato chip in each hand without breaking it. But are these suggestions sound?
These suggestions are intended to keep you help keep you relaxed. But, by holding this position you invariably become more tense! Because of this I recommend that you ignore any particular actions of the hand or fingers during the run.
If you keep the hand and fingers relaxed, they will be loose so that the hand can literally flap during the run. This is a great sign of relaxation. You can even see some great sprinters who do this during the run.
It looks as though they are flipping the hand back and forth but it is simply a consequence of being very relaxed during the run. There is no way that they would be able to “hold a chip in the fingers” and still be relaxed.
The key is to think complete relaxation of the hands. This will enable you to run more relaxed.
For more information on running and relaxation in running see Explosive Running