Dives: Once and for all, how much faster do they make you?

A dive from the block is 2 sec faster than a pushoff(I can't remember the reference,but that was the average in tests.) .7 seems about right for relay starts,but it depends on how good your relay start is.

A dive from the block is 2 sec faster than a pushoff(I can't remember the reference,but that was the average in tests.) .7 seems about right for relay starts,but it depends on how good your relay start is. Yes, and also most people out there will easily out-perform their in practice "race times" during an actual racing atmosphere of a meet. Lots of things come into play. Don't worry about getting too technical with all of this Paredes...you're young, just get out there and have fun with it. Sometimes the best swimming happens when you're not thinking. Just ask That Guy...he doesn't think too much.:bolt:

I always heard that a relay start was .7 faster than a flat start.

Y Don't worry about getting too technical with all of this Paredes...you're young, just get out there and have fun with it. Sometimes the best swimming happens when you're not thinking. Just ask That Guy...he doesn't think too much.:bolt: Just trying to see where I am pacing-wise for mid-long distance :D Thanks for your input though! Maybe I am thinking too much about this XD

Operating on memory here instead of a detailed study, but sometimes the results for the really fast meets show the reaction times for swimmers, and they are usually in the .70 to .80 range. There is also information available for reaction time for relay starts, and they can get down to .10 to .25 for really good relay starts in very competitive races. This is pretty consistent with the .5 to .7 rules of thumb that are posted here and that I have heard in the past. To see how much a start helps, you can compare the splits in 50s and 100s for good swimmers as they should not slow down the second half of the race. I think you would find that those splits are pretty consistent with the 2 second advantage from a start versus a push off rule of thumb.

I always heard that a relay start was .7 faster than a flat start. Back in my youth, the typically bandied-about figure was .5 faster for a relay start, but I agree that those who really anticipate things perfectly and practice with their teammates can probably eke out a bit more advantage. A dive from the block is 2 sec faster than a pushoff(I can't remember the reference,but that was the average in tests.) .7 seems about right for relay starts,but it depends on how good your relay start is. This is good to hear! Back in the body suit days, I would take my pushoff practice times for a 100, subtract 1.5 seconds for the pushoff, then another 2 seconds for the body suit, but often perform a bit better when the actual meet came around. God I miss those body suits! What I am also wondering, however, is this: With age, how much are starts affected by deteriorating reaction time? My teammates uniformly point out that I am usually the last one off the blocks. I was never a great starter, but it seems like it takes a lot more time for the sound of the gun to reach my muscles these days. Have others noticed a loss of reaction time? Is there anything you can do, short of asking the starter to rig you up with a cattle prod, to improve this? Or does slowed nerve conduction velocity never speed up again?

Just ask That Guy...he doesn't think too much.:bolt: What?

What? About what?

I think, therefore 400 IM. :agree:

I've heard 0.7 seconds for a relay start, too, and it makes sense. A good reaction time is 0.7-0.8 for a flat start (i.e., a start in a non-relay race). So assuming you can judge a relay start perfectly you're gaining 0.7 seconds or more there. If you play it safe on the start your feet are leaving the block about 0.2 seconds after the swimmer in the water finishes, so now we're back down to 0.5-0.6 seconds faster than a flat start. However, there's one more advantage given by a relay start and that is that you can be in motion whereas on a flat start you must be motionless before the start signal, so you gain a little more there.