Having a good racing start is imperative in winning swimming races. A good dive can slice those all important seconds and miliseconds off your time, and could make the difference between winning and losing your race. Being right at the beginning of your race, a good racing start can give you a great psychological advantage, putting your competitors in the race on the back foot right from the starting gun. This article will describe the different racing starts available to choose from and help you to learn how to perform a racing dive off a starting block in swimming effectively.
There are three types of racing starts used in competitive swimming. Scientific studies have conflicting results as to which is the best racing start, so it is really down to individual preference and personal skill set as to which dive the swimmer chooses.
Jump Starter
The first type of racing start is called the track start because it is closest to the type of racing start used in the track and field world, with one foot in front of the other. The toes of the front foot will be just curled over the front edge of the starting block. The hands need to be placed on the starting block with the fingers lightly gripping the edge. The swimmer keeps his or her weight on the front leg, uses the arms to pull down on the block and then flexes both knees to push off with the legs.
The second type of racing start is an adaptation of the track start and is called the Slingshot or Rear-Weighted Track Start. The set up is the same as in the track start. However, this time, the swimmer's weight needs to be on the back leg, which will flex down low in order to gain maximum spring off the block when performing the dive. As in the track start, the swimmer will use both legs to push off the starting block.
The third type of racing start is called the grab start and is different from the first two starts in that it has both feet together. The swimmer positions his feet 15-30cm apart with the toes curled over the edge of the starting block. The swimmer's centre of gravity should be as far forward as possible, without risking toppling into the water. The hands should grasp the front of the starting block, helping with stability. On hearing the starter's pistol, the hands pull downward and let go of the block, while at the same time the swimmer pushes off with both legs to perform the dive.
Whichever racing start you are doing the techniques are very similar:
Start by focusing on the front of the starting block. As you start the dive, move your head up and look at where you are aiming to enter the water. Target a point a little further than where you expect to make your entry, as you should be pushing yourself to achieve the maximum you possibly can right from the start of the race.
When you make your jump, push as hard as you can with your hands off the starting blocks. Then quickly thrust your arms straight above your head with your hands together, aiming for that same point mentioned in point 1. - a little further than where you thought you could achieve.
Naturally, try to jump as hard as you can. Studies of elite swimmers have shown that they typically take off at an angle of -5 degrees to 10 degrees, suggesting that a flat take-off profile would not be misguided.
Your feet should be together with the toes pointed, to keep the dive streamlined and minimise drag.
Your angle of entry into the water should be between 30 degrees and 40 degrees.
Aim to dive under the water no more than 1 to 2 feet to minimise drag forces. A common mistake of those learning racing starts is to dive as much as double or triple that distance.
Once you have dived in, if doing freestyle - also known as front crawl - you should aim to energetically kick your legs for about 5 to 10 yards or metres before surfacing and starting to propel your arms. In recent years, the dolphin kick has become the freestyle underwater kick of choice in competitive swimming, over the more traditional flutter kick.
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