I've always had horrible starts and I think they have gotten worse from all the years of not being used. Are there some drills I can do, since I rarely get to do starts during my designated lap swim time? Specifically I need to get my arms doing the right thing. I don't know where I picked up the habit of bringing my arms toward my chest and then out when I start, but it looks silly, and isn't very effective. I was so worried about not falling off the blocks this afternoon that I didn't even realize I had done that strange maneuver until I was hitting the water.
Parents
Former Member
Hey, runner girl, this is a good thread. I know most all swimmers don't work on their starts enough, nor have the blocks in place to practice them. As one of the other poster's said, she does the track start. I worked on that one for two years and never got the momentum, nor the distance I needed. I do the traditional start with my hands down at my feet, but I do not WIND UP. When the gun goes off, my arms lunge directliy forward taking my body with it. I found this to be better for ME because my weight was all in one place; not distributed with one leg in front and one leg in back as with the track start. That particular start made me wobble too much and my weak leg didn't provide very much thrust at all.
But keep working on them, that is the only way to perfect them.
donna
Hey, runner girl, this is a good thread. I know most all swimmers don't work on their starts enough, nor have the blocks in place to practice them. As one of the other poster's said, she does the track start. I worked on that one for two years and never got the momentum, nor the distance I needed. I do the traditional start with my hands down at my feet, but I do not WIND UP. When the gun goes off, my arms lunge directliy forward taking my body with it. I found this to be better for ME because my weight was all in one place; not distributed with one leg in front and one leg in back as with the track start. That particular start made me wobble too much and my weak leg didn't provide very much thrust at all.
But keep working on them, that is the only way to perfect them.
donna
