So I've been working on the mechanics of all my strokes for the past few months, and I've decided to swim a "sprint pentathlon" at the Louisville TYR meet on Sunday: 50s of all strokes plus a 100 IM. The idea is to establish baseline times to work from. Today I realized that despite years of youth and high school swimming, I probably have never performed a backstroke start in my life. I tried a few today at the end of my workout, and I felt like a chest of drawers falling off a cliff.
What are the parameters of a legal (and ideally not horrific) backstroke start?
Red -
If it is your first meet, and the start from the blocks for you is actually slower than a push off on your back, you may want to use the push off start in establishing your initial base time for future meet comparisons.
It is legal, as long as you remain on your back the entire time.
Usually, it is a good idea to have practiced starts (if your facility, the team and/or lifeguards will allow it) prior to the meet. Also, if you are an older swimmer, there's less chance of you getting hurt when you are pumped up for the race if you are unfamiliar with the correct starting sequence from the blocks.
Just an alternative view from the bleachers...
Red -
If it is your first meet, and the start from the blocks for you is actually slower than a push off on your back, you may want to use the push off start in establishing your initial base time for future meet comparisons.
It is legal, as long as you remain on your back the entire time.
Usually, it is a good idea to have practiced starts (if your facility, the team and/or lifeguards will allow it) prior to the meet. Also, if you are an older swimmer, there's less chance of you getting hurt when you are pumped up for the race if you are unfamiliar with the correct starting sequence from the blocks.
Just an alternative view from the bleachers...
