hands on gutter in backstroke start?

I see some age groupers getting real good results grabbing the gutter and placing feet a bit lower. They come right out and get clean entries just like the bar grabbers. Is this just a developmental thing, or can Masters benefit? I think the added buoyancy by staying low in the water at the start creates a stronger pushoff and slingshot? This is EXACTLY as I do it. I can always play around in practice with any pool doing a backstroke start like this. I do find that having a lower center of gravity helps me on my takeoff. I also have a staggered foot placement on the wall, one foot lower than the other as a track start. At the announcement of "take your mark" I pull up slightly, just enough to spring quickly, but not enough to change my center of gravity. At the starting signal I'm right up and out of the water going in fairly cleanly into the water. At the end of the race however, the timers always look like they just got out of a shower. :bliss:

I see some age groupers getting real good results grabbing the gutter and placing feet a bit lower. They come right out and get clean entries just like the bar grabbers. Is this just a developmental thing, or can Masters benefit? I think the added buoyancy by staying low in the water at the start creates a stronger pushoff and slingshot? This is EXACTLY as I do it. I can always play around in practice with any pool doing a backstroke start like this. I do find that having a lower center of gravity helps me on my takeoff. I also have a staggered foot placement on the wall, one foot lower than the other as a track start. At the announcement of "take your mark" I pull up slightly, just enough to spring quickly, but not enough to change my center of gravity. At the starting signal I'm right up and out of the water going in fairly cleanly into the water. At the end of the race however, the timers always look like they just got out of a shower. :bliss: