Being One-dimensional Is Not Strategic
Many arm wrestlers only do the move they are the strongest at again so they can win. They do not practice what they are weak at. Practicing both — what you are strong and weak at — will make you a multi-dimensional arm wrestler.
The Advantage
It is very advantageous to be able to switch the move you use offensively during the same match. It will be hard for a competitor to defend if he is unaware of how you are going to move. He will be defensive and not offensive.
For example: I will set up high and try a top-roll - If I win, I win. If I get stopped or cannot win, you can slip out or move my elbow off the pad to foul and get the match stopped and restarted. You can set up lightly and the same way as you originally did and switch your move and hook instead of top-rolling.
What You Can Do to Win:
Switching your move is very hard to defend and may confuse your opponent. This of course, is to your advantage. I highly suggest if you’re looking for some inspiration to get pumped up for your next arm wrestling match, look no further than the 1987 Sylvester Stallone classic "Over the Top." Yeah, it’s an entire movie dedicated to arm wrestling.
Stallone plays a struggling trucker named Lincoln Hawk who arm wrestles on the side to make extra money. After the death of his wife, he tries to make amends with his son who he left behind years earlier. Upon their first meeting, his son doesn’t think too highly of Hawk. But over the course of the film, he warms up to his dad, and they form a great father-son relationship. Arm wrestling and a touching father-son story. The point of this mention is to drive home the thought that arm wrestling is not one-dimentional.
Every training session, you should practice all moves which will allow you to switch or switch your move in each contest. Before each match, know the way you are going to move and practice this by go through the move in your mind. If you have a table to practice on in private, go through the exact move from start to finish. Visualize the exact move and win. This includes wrist rotation and moving the hips with the arm.
Invest In Your Own Diversity
For more tips, I recommend reading through my blogs and invest in yourself by starting with the Intermediate Package which gets you everything in the Basic package (free), plus Intermediate Tips & Tricks Video (an online video), Easy To Do Moves & How To Position Yourself (PDF), Performance & Safety Tips (PDF), Basic Battle Strategies (PDF), and Strategies To Change A Loss Into A Win (PDF).
