I was reading an article that was telling me how I should use some drills to improve my reactions on the starting block. Just what type of drills are these?
Parents
Former Member
Coach had a clicker. Not sure what it was. But, it clicked really loud. You would stand acrossed from another swimmer, in a wrestling fashion. Like you were going to take down the other guy. When coach clicked, you had to touch your ear faster than the guy acrossed from you. First left hand and then right. Click, click, click-click, clickity click, and so on. Also, you would stand in a line next to each other and have to spin 90 degrees to the right or left. Each time coach clicked you moved in the fashion that was directed. It increased your reaction time to the sound of the click. I still have the notion to touch my ear whenever I hear a loud click.
Also, we did the kickboard thing except for the hitting of the block first. A coach would extend a board at arm's length to just touching the bottom of the swimmer on the block. Then on "take your mark" the coach would wind up like he was swinging a bat. On the sound of the start, the coach would swing the board.
You learned how to get off of the blocks fast with these two drills.
Plus with the start drill I have mentioned in a previous thread, you learned how to get off the blocks fast and in the water clean.
Coach had a clicker. Not sure what it was. But, it clicked really loud. You would stand acrossed from another swimmer, in a wrestling fashion. Like you were going to take down the other guy. When coach clicked, you had to touch your ear faster than the guy acrossed from you. First left hand and then right. Click, click, click-click, clickity click, and so on. Also, you would stand in a line next to each other and have to spin 90 degrees to the right or left. Each time coach clicked you moved in the fashion that was directed. It increased your reaction time to the sound of the click. I still have the notion to touch my ear whenever I hear a loud click.
Also, we did the kickboard thing except for the hitting of the block first. A coach would extend a board at arm's length to just touching the bottom of the swimmer on the block. Then on "take your mark" the coach would wind up like he was swinging a bat. On the sound of the start, the coach would swing the board.
You learned how to get off of the blocks fast with these two drills.
Plus with the start drill I have mentioned in a previous thread, you learned how to get off the blocks fast and in the water clean.
