I've always been taught to use a track start but recently i've tried a grab start and it felt more natural for me.
How exactly does one do the grab start?
How much do you bend your knees?
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Former Member
Originally posted by knelson
Yeah, I think you want to bend your knees. If your knees are locked where is your power going to come from?
Exactly, knelson! In the article cited above, it says, "The track start is noted for being more stable, and with the no false start rule this has led coaches to teach young swimmers the track start almost exclusively ... One of the weaknesses of the track start is that if the swimmer’s back foot slips, this usually leads to a disastrous start. The grab start does not have this problem."
The only problem with the grab start, is that if there is forward motion in the body while leaning over, it is almost impossible to stop once it starts happening, thus resulting in a disqualification. That, however, is the only problem I see with it. Personally, I don't like the track start because my body weight is too spread-out over the block. I would rather have my body weight on the brink of falling over it. This encourages me to push off with more vigor. That's just my own thing though--I've talked to many swimmers who swear by the track start.
Originally posted by knelson
Yeah, I think you want to bend your knees. If your knees are locked where is your power going to come from?
Exactly, knelson! In the article cited above, it says, "The track start is noted for being more stable, and with the no false start rule this has led coaches to teach young swimmers the track start almost exclusively ... One of the weaknesses of the track start is that if the swimmer’s back foot slips, this usually leads to a disastrous start. The grab start does not have this problem."
The only problem with the grab start, is that if there is forward motion in the body while leaning over, it is almost impossible to stop once it starts happening, thus resulting in a disqualification. That, however, is the only problem I see with it. Personally, I don't like the track start because my body weight is too spread-out over the block. I would rather have my body weight on the brink of falling over it. This encourages me to push off with more vigor. That's just my own thing though--I've talked to many swimmers who swear by the track start.
