Open Vs. Closed Armwrestling Techniques: The Power Of Hand Positioning
Armwrestlers usually specialize in two types of armwrestling hand positions and grips to armwrestle: Open and closed. Today, we will cover all the open and closed armwrestling techniques so you can begin to deploy them in your next match. Perhaps, you will find a style that works best for you!
Open Armwrestling Techniques Explained
Open armwrestling is a style that uses a specific hand positioning to gain leverage over your opponent. Even more specifically, it includes keeping more of an open hand and wrist position than a closed hook and/or fist. The best way to think of open armwrestling techniques is to have your hand angled slightly out as if you will salute an officer.
The Open Toproll
What It Is: You establish a higher hand position than your opponent and quickly roll over the top in a hybrid pronation movement that causes your opponent’s hand to flex backward. The high height advantage also helps to destabilize your opponent and reduce their leverage by elongating their arm (bicep muscle) across the table.
How To Do It: As soon as the match starts, pull toward you, rotate your thumb toward your chest, and imagine making a powerful arc over your opponent’s hand. If you execute this move with speed and power, you will be in a very advantageous position!
Elite Users: Levan Saginashvili
The Low Toproll
What It Is: Here, things get pretty interesting. While you might have a more open-hand positioning for the toproll, you sink backward and let your arm out more. This hybrid movement incorporates a touch of the King’s Move, and you use a ton of back pressure to fall back with your lats (primary back muscles).
How To Do It: Lower your competing shoulder slightly. Then, apply a significant amount of back pressure while you toproll. In this technique, do not be afraid to let your arm out into the table a bit more. If you are in doubt on how to perform this move, watch Matt Mask do this technique—it is his patented style and he executes it masterfully.
Elite Users: Matt Mask
Closed Armwrestling Techniques Explained
Captain Hook, are you here?
Closed armwrestling utilizes an extreme hooking technique and mastery of your cupping strength, while the press uses your hook to finish the match. The tighter your fist, the greater your chance of using a closed armwrestling technique.
The Hook
What It Is: Your arm forms an acute angle at the elbow joint and becomes the hook. Elite armwrestlers use this technique to sap their opponent of all their strength and bring them in for the press to the pad. This technique takes a long time during a match. It is like a spider slowly pulling in prey for the kill. You are closing in on the win and weaving your opponent into your sinews of the hook.
How To Do It: Imagine your arm as a hook and your wrist/hand as a barb. Turn your closed fist around your opponent’s hand and bring it to your forearm. If you use the hook correctly, you will see the bulge/flex of your flexor muscles on the bottom inside portion of your forearm. If done correctly, you will bring your opponent’s arm as close to your chest as possible. If you apply back pressure using this technique, your opponent will quickly lose gas in the tank. The tighter your hand positioning and hook execution, the more closed this technique becomes!
Elite Users: Devon Larratt (The God of the Hook)
The Press
What It Is: This technique is a slight variation on the hook. While the positioning looks similar, it reverses outwards to press your opponent down into the pad. The pressing technique is strictly for the biggest and strongest armwrestlers.
How To Do It: Once your opponent is hooked in and tired out, you will extend to an obtuse angle at the elbow to perform a tricep pushdown into the opponent’s pad. You will need to have insane tricep strength as you will be combating your opponent’s bicep and back muscles together. Use this closed armwrestling technique toward the end of a match.
Elite Users: Jerry Cadorette
The Best Use Hybrid Movements Of Their Own Design
Outside toproll or inside hook? What will you choose to become a king of the table? The best of the best will use variations, hybrids, and techniques they design based on their style to best an armwrestling competitor. My top tip to you: become well versed in all these techniques and then master how to counter them effectively (and defensively)!