Our previous discussions on Sprint Swimmer height and the now, universal use of the track start, have been re-affirmed in this year's NCAA 50 free championships.
Cesar Cielo-6'4"
Matt Target 6'6"
Ben Wildman-Tobriner 6'4"
Albert Subirats ??? Anyone have any idea of his height?
Scott Goodrich 6'3"
Brian Lundquist 6'4"
From the photo I saw, everyone used the track start in this, the fastest race of all. Therefore, the track start is the fastest start.:thhbbb:
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Former Member
That may be true, but what ultimately matters is whether it gets you to the 15 meter mark faster than the grab start. It seems to me the two-foot "grab" start allows more power from the legs, so you're probably sacrificing a little on the reaction speed side, but gaining some on the initial horizontal velocity side. Maybe for people that have the track start really dialed in this isn't true.
For me (at least ...I can't really speak for anyone else) I feel that the extra stability (in terms of balance mainly) that I gain from the track start over the grab start not only allows me to react faster to the beep....BUT also it provides me with more power on the start as well ....b/c in order to exert power I need to first start off in a somewhat sufficient stable balanced position (i.e. a sufficently sturdy postion so to speak). Even though the grab start seems to be able to "potentially" produce more power compared to the track start (as you pointed out in your posting above due to the extra power from the legs...and the legs are generally more powerful than the upper body), I can never seem to gain enough balance in the grab start position to actually obtain much power from it none-the-less.....So sufficient balance not only seems to me to be the key to faster reaction time but also in gaining more power from the start as well.
Another related point is that, although the grab start seems to draw more on the power from the legs than the track start does, the amount of extra leverage I feel from the upper body using the track start over the grab start may also play a role in why the track start seems more powerful to me than the grab start (even though the upper body is not generally as strong as the legs).... I just think that the amount of extra power coming from the upper body in the track start may also outweigh (in fact) the loss in power coming from the legs in comparison with the grab start ...without even factoring in the extra general stability and balance the track start provides over the grab start. I can't, however, prove any of this Scientifically to support my position about it though...its all pretty much based on personal experience and the physical sensation that I am percieving.
Racer X does make a pretty good point about the track start in his last posting as well IMO. Athletes (especially on the highest levels) tend to prefer the methods that are proven to be the fastest (at least in their own heads that is)...and there is no doubt that the track start has become by far the most predominant type of start these days amongst elite competitive swimmers.
Newmastersswimmer
p.s. Has anyone ever noticed that I sometimes repeat myself a bit? LOL!!
That may be true, but what ultimately matters is whether it gets you to the 15 meter mark faster than the grab start. It seems to me the two-foot "grab" start allows more power from the legs, so you're probably sacrificing a little on the reaction speed side, but gaining some on the initial horizontal velocity side. Maybe for people that have the track start really dialed in this isn't true.
For me (at least ...I can't really speak for anyone else) I feel that the extra stability (in terms of balance mainly) that I gain from the track start over the grab start not only allows me to react faster to the beep....BUT also it provides me with more power on the start as well ....b/c in order to exert power I need to first start off in a somewhat sufficient stable balanced position (i.e. a sufficently sturdy postion so to speak). Even though the grab start seems to be able to "potentially" produce more power compared to the track start (as you pointed out in your posting above due to the extra power from the legs...and the legs are generally more powerful than the upper body), I can never seem to gain enough balance in the grab start position to actually obtain much power from it none-the-less.....So sufficient balance not only seems to me to be the key to faster reaction time but also in gaining more power from the start as well.
Another related point is that, although the grab start seems to draw more on the power from the legs than the track start does, the amount of extra leverage I feel from the upper body using the track start over the grab start may also play a role in why the track start seems more powerful to me than the grab start (even though the upper body is not generally as strong as the legs).... I just think that the amount of extra power coming from the upper body in the track start may also outweigh (in fact) the loss in power coming from the legs in comparison with the grab start ...without even factoring in the extra general stability and balance the track start provides over the grab start. I can't, however, prove any of this Scientifically to support my position about it though...its all pretty much based on personal experience and the physical sensation that I am percieving.
Racer X does make a pretty good point about the track start in his last posting as well IMO. Athletes (especially on the highest levels) tend to prefer the methods that are proven to be the fastest (at least in their own heads that is)...and there is no doubt that the track start has become by far the most predominant type of start these days amongst elite competitive swimmers.
Newmastersswimmer
p.s. Has anyone ever noticed that I sometimes repeat myself a bit? LOL!!
