We asked South Africa’s top (and 9th in the world) arm-wrestler Terence Opperman for his choice strong-arm tactics

#1

Put your elbow down and bend your knees slightly. This will help you prevent your elbows from lifting (elbow foul) after the go.

#2

Make sure that your hand/palm is slightly higher than your opponent’s. This will be an advantage after the go as it will help with rising, known as back pressure.

#3

Hold your thumb back as far as possible and put your index finger under your thumb. This helps increase the pressure on your opponent’s hand after the go and helps shift pressure giving maximum hand control.

#4

During the match, the guy who has his knuckles the highest is in the best position at that moment.

#5

Lock your fingers, but don’t put too much pressure on your opp-onent’s hand. This will stop your opponent immediately if he starts pulling. However, if there is 
no tension from your opponent then there is no pressure from you, only a lock. This will help prevent you from loosening your wrist in the match.