Everyone seems to be doing "track starts" off the block now - one leg behind the other. How and why do you do this? I haven't been in a meet for a long time...back then everyone did the "grab start". Any instructions on doing a track start would be appreciated.
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That Guy says: "I'm left-footed but my right leg is my strong leg. The right leg is planted while the left foot is kicking a ball or whatever." (sorry, don't know how to quote on this forum)
Yes, this makes sense to me. I run/coach track...I explain to runners that their stronger "load" leg is forward in a track block start. Their "fast" leg is behind. Usually right handed people have a stronger left leg - it's their "plant" leg in soccer. The right leg is the more agile, faster moving leg. Hence at the gun, the push in a track race would come from the left leg, and the right leg is faster to move.
Mind you, arms - being much less in mass - move faster than legs. So in track and field, the mental training off the block is to think of fast arms...the legs will follow. A typical right handed person, wih their left leg forward in the "load" position, will focus on driving the right arm back and the left arm forward on the gun as the right leg drives forward into the first step.
What are arms supposed to do in a swimming race?
I have never seen the new, back raised blocks pictured in the above posts. They remind me of track and field starting blocks....pretty soon, I predict, the angle on the back part of the block will be adjustable, as they are in track and field... but I digress.
My first meet in over a decade is next month...I have no idea what type of blocks there will be, but I anticiate the old school type. Wish me luck!
Thanks for all your imput.
forums.usms.org/.../smiley_canada_flag_ani.gif
That Guy says: "I'm left-footed but my right leg is my strong leg. The right leg is planted while the left foot is kicking a ball or whatever." (sorry, don't know how to quote on this forum)
Yes, this makes sense to me. I run/coach track...I explain to runners that their stronger "load" leg is forward in a track block start. Their "fast" leg is behind. Usually right handed people have a stronger left leg - it's their "plant" leg in soccer. The right leg is the more agile, faster moving leg. Hence at the gun, the push in a track race would come from the left leg, and the right leg is faster to move.
Mind you, arms - being much less in mass - move faster than legs. So in track and field, the mental training off the block is to think of fast arms...the legs will follow. A typical right handed person, wih their left leg forward in the "load" position, will focus on driving the right arm back and the left arm forward on the gun as the right leg drives forward into the first step.
What are arms supposed to do in a swimming race?
I have never seen the new, back raised blocks pictured in the above posts. They remind me of track and field starting blocks....pretty soon, I predict, the angle on the back part of the block will be adjustable, as they are in track and field... but I digress.
My first meet in over a decade is next month...I have no idea what type of blocks there will be, but I anticiate the old school type. Wish me luck!
Thanks for all your imput.
forums.usms.org/.../smiley_canada_flag_ani.gif
