In Rushall's paper on sprinting he recommends the forward leaning start.Several years ago I read an article on a forward leaning start,but that was a grab start. I practiced it for awhile and went to a local meet. I was disappointed with my results and a referee I respect told me that I needed to practice it more if I was going to use it in a meet as I was unsteady on the blocks and near a DQ.I gave up on it as a waste of time until I read Rushall's article. I tried it with a track start a couple of times.I felt steady on the blocks and fast off the block,but I didn't feel my jump was as strong. The only pool I use that lets me use the blocks regularly suffered storm damage and is closed at least a month so I haven't had the chance to get times to 15M to see how it compares with my standard start.I have never seen anyone use this start at a meet. Do any Forumites have experience with it and what are your results?
The forward lean start is much easier to accomplish if you have the starting blocks with the side handles. The handles make it much easier to control your forward momentum as you lean forward.
In the last start clinic I attended with USA-Swimming coaches from the OTC, they recommended the forward lean or center-balanced...no more sling-shot with a backward lean. With the forward lean start, it was suggested to hold onto the handles and lean out as far as possible, stopping just short of actually falling in...the goal is to get your shoulder ahead of everyone else...a "head start" if you will.
Most swimmers hardly ever get the chance to practice off the blocks, but it's super important, in my opinion, especially if you're trying out some new techniques.
It's nice that you're using some type of evidence to validate your work to 15M!
In the 80 - 90's . i coached with a man that taught the "Gargoyle" start. This is what he called it. IF you hold on tight, then you can lean over the block a lot to help with a non-delayed start.Many officials need to be told of this start as they will think the swimmer is falling in. I did not see any real time advantage to this start.
I've tried a more forward leaning start before, from the omega style blocks and, while i got away quickly, I didn't gain overall. Elite swimmers can obviously spend far more time working on an optimal start, so I won't dismiss the idea but I think you have to be very careful. If you watch the 100m *** at the Worlds last year, Peaty leans further forward than van der Berg and gets away quicker, but VDB comes up miles ahead (extra fly kick or not).
Thinking it through, the biomechanics will be very personal, but I would have thought that you have to get the balance between leaning further with your body and losing power from your legs. The more forward momentum you can get with your upper body, while keeping a relatively neutral leg position, would seem to be an optimal position to me. It may well be that a forward leaning start needs the board to be brought much further forward to get this? As for tinkering with starts on non-omega blocks, I wouldn't personally bother as none of the meets that I really care about have 'standard' blocks now. Unfortunately, none of the pools that I practice in have the omega blocks....
I tried various starts with a coach yesterday.The forward leaning start was 0.5 sec slower to 15M. Slingshot track start (leaning back) was about the same as neutral position track start( weight not front or back) but felt stronger. YMMV
I tried various starts with a coach yesterday.The forward leaning start was 0.5 sec slower to 15M. Slingshot track start (leaning back) was about the same as neutral position track start( weight not front or back) but felt stronger. YMMV
Alan,
Did the blocks have wedges?
No. That is a peeve of mine. I know I have it better than many swimmers by having ready access to starting blocks, but using a fin changes the angles and I only get to use them a couple of times a year.
I did a BR pullout/breakout which I think was fairly reproducible. The forward lean from a track start seemed stable,but I got no thrust from my arms and little from my back leg. The neutral position gave me more thrust from my back leg and arms,but still seemed that front leg was the main source of thrust.From the slingshot I could really pull(jerk) with my arms and I could sense more drive from my back leg. The coach thought that on a fin block the back leg may be more engaged in the neutral position than on a regular block and posited that the force advantage of the slingshot would be less on a fin block so that neutral may be faster. In the slingshot I felt more like a coiled spring ready to explode.
I have found with some of the people that I train that they lean back in track start position, obviously this is mental trick the brain seems to think that you will get more power from trying get momentum off the blocks. The answer is simple if Micheal Phelps, James Magnuessun and other Olympic level swimmer don't do it then neither should others. From what i have seen if the swimmer can use the track start and hold the balance over the ball of their front foot then the reaction time seems to be slightly fast. However it does take some training to get used to.
However these are my thoughts and welcome feed back :)
Thank you.I started using the slingshot start from watching Ian Crocker, who had a very fast start.
