Noticing more frequent use of grab starts in Beijing...
Former Member
Notably by the Chinese female swimmer, and it's combined with tremendous water entries and SDK's ... I'd say almost Coughlin caliber underwaters and theyr'e coming up on the fielkd, but no one is talking about it.
Look at their entries in the 200 free. In the 100, Pang jumped so take her slight reaction time out of it and she still is well up after the SDK's.
Notice also that Lenton of Australia used the conventional grab start, as do several other of her country women.
In one particular Chinese sprinter (Le?), she squats with her but down quite low for her stance, which would seem very slow off the block. At 15 meters though she is ahead.
Any thoughts?
Former Member
What, a grab start is old school? No way, old school is toes wrapped around end of block, body slightly leaned forward, head looking forward and the arms in the classic back position like the butterfly recovery. At least thats the pic I have me in team picture of me when I was 6, oh, and also sporting the Spitz stars and strip suit!
Old School Baby! Commings, JS....were trend setters!
Oh wait...Jeff just decided....6 years to late...to start using a grab start!
JC..did you happen to notice how many evil strokers were wearing either leggings or full body suits?
Big props to Roland for doing so well.
He too went off with a two legged grab start.
You don't mean Schoeman do you (RSA)? He uses a classic "catapult" track start with slight back lean and straight arms. He was first to 15m ahead of Bernard and Sullivan and still has the best start in the world IMHO.
You don't mean Schoeman do you (RSA)?
It looked like Schoeman at the start.
Must have been someone very tall right next to him. (They were all suited up with black LZR's.)
Anyway there were at least 2 guys in his heat using the grab start...and they all broke out at about the same spot.
In 2004 wrote an article " Is the Grab Start Dead" that was published in the American Swimming Magazine (ASCA Coaches magazine). basically I counted nearly every start of every race in the 2004 USA Olympics Trials.
Rowdy keeps talking about the reaction time, but really what is important is NOT the reaction time but the time to 15 meters. This time is recorded in every World championship and Olympics. Many times the people and countries that use the grab start end up ahead at the 15 meters mark!
The track start just is a big equalizer, no body gets a lead, except for the reaction time. A couple of thousands of reaction time does not make up for the couple of tenths loss at the 15 meter mark.
There were more than a few grab starters in the 50 prelims.
They rocketed out of the breakout right along side every single track starter.
Big props to Roland for doing so well.
He too went off with a two legged grab start.
As Wayne said...it's still alive and well.
The force generated from two legs seems to offset any gain by the speedier reaction time of the track start.
In 2004 wrote an article " Is the Grab Start Dead" that was published in the American Swimming Magazine (ASCA Coaches magazine). basically I counted nearly every start of every race in the 2004 USA Olympics Trials.
Rowdy keeps talking about the reaction time, but really what is important is NOT the reaction time but the time to 15 meters. This time is recorded in every World championship and Olympics. Many times the people and countries that use the grab start end up ahead at the 15 meters mark!
The track start just is a big equalizer, no body gets a lead, except for the reaction time. A couple of thousands of reaction time does not make up for the couple of tenths loss at the 15 meter mark.
Absolutely agree....I still teach a type of the Keyhole drive with a two footed start....specially for BR and FL......it's not how fast you get off the blocks it's your time to 15 M that matters.......
I prove it to the kids in practice by doing it with them...very few can beat me off the start.....
Wow, now that I have finally seen the womens 50 meter freestyle race, notice 50% of the sprinters did the grab start!! That is the highest percentage in all of the Olympic swimming for 2008.
Four swimmers, including the winner Steffen, Tricket (AUS) and both of the Dutch girls used the grab start. None of this foolish reaction crap, the grab start gets you out faster to 15 meters than any other start.
Also finally got the web site up again with my article "Is the Grab Start Dead in US Swimming?" from the 2005 American Swimming Magazine (ASCA Coaches)
The rest of the world understands if you have a great start, use the grab start. The track start is for slow starters.
I think the grad has always really been faster but no one wanted to mention that because they thought the track start was cooler.
I think it's more the fact that the track start allows you to get off the blocks faster and that's what people remember. As Wayne said, what's really important is what gets you to 15 meters fastest.
Can someone describe the difference? I thought basically everyone was grabbing the blocks and had one foot behind the other. Wouldn't that be a grab track start? I must be missing something very obvious.
S
