Noticing more frequent use of grab starts in Beijing...

In a kind of unscientific explanation: 1. I usually have the kids aim for trying to dive over the flags. 2. Once at the apex of the dive, you can either pike....or as I do kind of bring the legs up like a frog kick...and kick down to the water. 3. Make a single hole with your hands and try and bring the rest of the body through that hole. 4. As the legs are entering the water snap the legs down almost like a dolphin kick (not like Kitajima who did it after he was in the water) to help propel you through the water. 5. Good streamline, pulldown with a dolphin kick. Even before the dolphin kick I used to be able to get over half way in a 25 yard pool. It is one of those things that is a lot easier to teach at the pool. Hope this helps.....it does take some practice to get used to.

Thanks, Tracy. You going to the Peachtree City Pentathlon? How about a grab start clinic? In a kind of unscientific explanation: 1. I usually have the kids aim for trying to dive over the flags. 2. Once at the apex of the dive, you can either pike....or as I do kind of bring the legs up like a frog kick...and kick down to the water. 3. Make a single hole with your hands and try and bring the rest of the body through that hole. 4. As the legs are entering the water snap the legs down almost like a dolphin kick (not like Kitajima who did it after he was in the water) to help propel you through the water. 5. Good streamline, pulldown with a dolphin kick. Even before the dolphin kick I used to be able to get over half way in a 25 yard pool. It is one of those things that is a lot easier to teach at the pool. Hope this helps.....it does take some practice to get used to.

As of Friday I am now waiting on having my shoulder (Rotator) cut on to fix it....I have to do a couple of other tests first so I am hoping to possibly be back in the water by Jan......we'll see.

Tracy, don't do it. My right rotator has hurt since 1987! But as long as I can live with it and swim breaststroke I am happy NOT going under the knife. One time I had a doctors physical, he notices my left pec muscle was close to on inch thicker than the right one. I had to laugh, it was from thousands of lengths of one armed (left one didn't hurt) butterfly. I did do some right armed ones , just not often. I go to bed with a SalonPas on the shoulder, and take glucosamine for my knees and shoulder. Some days I have to take naprosim. Good luck.

Can you or anyone else describe the keyhole-dive grab start? Or better yet, point to any online instructions or videos? Here's my questions: 1. What pushoff/lift angle should you be aiming for as you leave the blocks relative to the water line? Up (+ degrees)? Parallel (0)? Down (-)? 2. After the initial hand grab and feet push, do you immediately throw your hands forward? Or do you them leave them back a little initially and then come forward? (This seems to help keep my center of gravity lower in my body to help get me into a pike - see #3.) 3. So, the purpose of the pike is to set up the keyhole entry (IMO), right? I really struggle getting into that pike...Any tips or tricks to help. I've been told to throw your butt up, but anything else you teach to get it there? 4. Once your past the pike into a keyhole entry, what angle should you be at relative to the water line? (-45 degrees, -30 degrees - 0 degrees being parallel to the water) 5. What tips, tricks, thought processes do you have to do the scoop to get that extra little "kick" in? I'd love some feedback, because I always seem to come up a half body-length behind the good ones on a breaststroke start... 1) not too high,about 20 degrees. 2)really what ever works for you,what you do with your arms in the air does very little,except change body alignment. 3) this is where the hands make some difference,don't extend them all the way forward and follow them into the keyhole. 4)about 45 degrees 5) I don't think you really want to do this in BR(I know some people disagree) I think you want to be fairly deep to maximize your pullout distance.

That's a bummer, especially since we still have a 50 BR gridge to settle. I hope all goes well. As of Friday I am now waiting on having my shoulder (Rotator) cut on to fix it....I have to do a couple of other tests first so I am hoping to possibly be back in the water by Jan......we'll see.

I'd love to get down to a mid to high 29 for SCY......maybe next year!!!!

Tracy, I always look for the positive. Actually the shoulder could be a way to get faster. Once you can get yourself into the water with one hand/arm, you can do lots of laps butterfly kick, *** kick on the back, several kicks underwater, and best of all, my all time favorite gruesome, horrible painful forwards eggbeater!!! Remember what doesn't kill you makes you stronger :) I guarrantee you a faster 50 time by starting to do one length forwards eggbeater, all out, gut busting, fast as humanly possible pumping of the legs, for just one length (25) per workout. After a month of this, faithfully, do two lengths per workouts. By SCY Nationals your legs will be faster, more explosive and you will have your best time:weightlifter: The worst drills I have ever seen are when breaststrokers are made to hold weights in the pool when doing eggbeater. This is just training the slow twitch muscles and is a total waste of time. You want the legs stronger, do squats and tow lifts on land. You can also do this while the shoulder is in the sling and on the mend. Also try lots of underwaters, kicking as long and as far as you can. Eventually build up to over a length underwater. You have to train your lungs, body and MIND together to make the race underwaters easy. I had not worked out for nearly 3 years, couple of weeks ago I easily went 15 yards from a pushoff the whole workout. Plus I was really really big then. No slim jim now but at least 16 pounds lighter I went 16 yards last week. I am not like a dolphin, more like a great BIG Killer whale. Only 38 seconds for a push, got to get that down to 32 by next SCY Nats. Might not beat Strand, but a 30 from a dive might get second. Got to goal set. You need to set some goals to make all the pain you will go through bearable. You might take a trip to Lost Wages where I live and I could give you a little clinic. Always good to have someone else look at your stroke.

Wayne, thanks! Sounds like a lot of the drills and stuff my high school coach had me do back in So Cal. Kane Waggoner was the best coach I have ever been around. During high school season last year....I had the kids doing eggbeaters and vertical kicks too.....weights for only a few that could handle it.....I think that is one of the drills that a lot of coaches overlook, specially for Breaststrokers. Looking at getting back in the water sometime this week and at least start doing kick stuff again. My biggest problem lately has been energy level....but I need to get back in and do something. Thanks again.....

Tracy, don't do it. My right rotator has hurt since 1987! But as long as I can live with it and swim breaststroke I am happy NOT going under the knife. One time I had a doctors physical, he notices my left pec muscle was close to on inch thicker than the right one. I had to laugh, it was from thousands of lengths of one armed (left one didn't hurt) butterfly. I did do some right armed ones , just not often. I go to bed with a SalonPas on the shoulder, and take glucosamine for my knees and shoulder. Some days I have to take naprosim. Good luck. Wayne thanks....but as of right now I can barely use it at all. Tucking my shirt in hurts. Tried Physical Therapy for a while....Cortisone shot a month ago...it's been hurting for almost a year now and is slowly getting worse. Been taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin regularly which helps my neck and my jaw (TMJ)....but right now I can barely put my arm up over my head and straighten it.....MRI shows a pretty good tear that they want to fix.....