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:
Former Member
Gary was the first under 20 seconds. Still swims some masters meets. Don't forget about Shaun Jordan at Texas. He was a little guy but had phenomenal speed. Got him a gold medal at the Olympics.
Gary was the second. Gary finished behindJoe Bottom at the 1977 NCAA champs. They were both under 20 but Joe got to the wall first.
Gary was the second. Gary finished behindJoe Bottom at the 1977 NCAA champs. They were both under 20 but Joe got to the wall first.
Thanks, sorry I missed that. I remember that now. Gary is from my hometown, I was a bit younger when he was in his prime but we knew of him growing up.
Thanks, sorry I missed that. I remember that now. Gary is from my hometown, I was a bit younger when he was in his prime but we knew of him growing up.
To make up for it I'll take a 3 second head start in the 200 back. I forgot you were both from Midland.
I think it gives the swimmer the capacity to react to the beep quicker.
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.
To make up for it I'll take a 3 second head start in the 200 back. I forgot you were both from Midland.
Yes we are. He as well as Doug Russell were much more accomplished than me.
3 seconds is way too generous. I haven't swam in a competition in almost 3 years. Not sure what I could do now. Kids keep me too busy to try and compete. Seems like the only time I have to swim is when my entire household is asleep at 5:30 am...
I agree with this Kirk.
Track starters may hit the water faster...but the grab start provides more force from the two legged launch. Every analysis done seems to show them breaking out of the water at more or less the same area..even if the track starters entered first.
To each his own. I think the only people doing grab starts these days are us old school swimmers.
The proof is in the pudding, guys.
The NCAA division I SCY 50 free is the fastest swimming event on the planet. If there was any advantage to the grab start, we would see it used in this event. When you have 3 guys tieing for second at 19.08, any advantage would be welcome.
They all used the track start, so it HAS to be the superior start technique from the block all the way to the 15 yard mark.
These guys are constantly looking for any gain, no matter how small, and no one uses the old school grab start.
To each his own. I think the only people doing grab starts these days are us old school swimmers.
LOL! Really Old School swimmers are still doing the windmill, from which I switched to grab/track (haven't chosen one yet) only two years ago.
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!!
