How important is diving when you're on a swim team?

Question

I want to join a swim team in my school but I don't know how to dive at all...is that a problem?? Also, for what strokes do you dive (in swim meets) ad for what strokes don't you dive??

Answer 1

the dive is importaNT but they will teach you how to  and you dive in for evry thing except backstroke

Answer 2

You dive off the blocks in freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly. Backstroke has a special, unique start.

Don't worry if you can't dive. Your coach will teach you, and with practice, you will get the hang of it. While the best swimmers have strong dives, and it is a crucial part of swimming (especially in short races), don't let that stop you. Just get someone to help you, and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!

Answer 3

go ahead and join the team. the coach will teach you and there should be others that don't know how to dive either. You dive off the blocks in Fly, Brst, and Free. You start in the water for Back. Going off the blocks is really important if you want to have the fastest time you can get. It will shave a few seconds off easy if you just go off the blocks. Plus I think in school teams when you compeat you have to go off the blocks so the officals know you are ready. Good luck! Swim hard!

Answer 4

If you're talking about springboard diving, that is a separate event at swim meets.  Sometimes divers will also swim, but not the other way around.  The diving events are important in a meet because if you don't have divers, you lose those points and your opponent automatically wins all the points for diving.

If you're talking about your start for swimming, they will teach you the techniques of a good start - don't worry about it.  The only stroke for which you don't start from the blocks is the backstroke.  For that you enter the water, assume the starting position [grasping the handles on the starting block, feet on the wall underwater] and start from there.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Diving is pretty important because unless you get a good start then it is really hard to catch up with other good competitors. The first person was right, you dive for all the strokes except for backstroke and Individual Medley. Most swim teams will go over how to dive properly. Don't be afraid to belly flop a couple of times. If you really don't want to dive then just do the backstroke or IM until you feel confident. Good luck though, practice makes perfect.

Answer 6

Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley.  These are the 5 strokes that are commonly used for swim competition.

Answer 7

They will help you with your dives. On my team we worked on our starts before every meet since it's so important. But don't let that scare you off, your coach will help as much as they can.

You will dive with anything that starts with freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly. In backstroke, you start in the water and push off the wall into a sort of backwards dive.

Your coach and teammates will help you with everything. They want you to succeed too.

Answer 8

only one that you don't dive is backstroke and you have a start that's kinda like a back dive you throw your head back.  Diving is really important once you're good but working on your stroke is even more important. the diving is good for getting a head start and however much ground you pass by being in the air is the length that you don't have to swim and get tired on.  Don't worry about not being able to dive, the coaches will definately teach you how to!!

Answer 9

when swimming in a competitive race, everything is important~the dive, the actual stroke and the turn   a dive starts your race, gets all your momentum into the streamline and then into a fast breakout. luckily, diving is fairly easy to learn.

your swim coach can help you...but most importantly you want to be the first off the blocks and use your legs muscles to get your out and up and then onto the water.  when you look at the Olympic swimmers their dives are really far out...which means you have to spend less energy swimming!! :)

you dive from the blocks in  IM free, fly, and

breast (then do your underwater pull down)

for backstroke you start in the water and arch your back...those are fairly easy to learn as well!

good luck!! :)

Answer 10

diving is extremely important to know for swim teams. that is how you get a lot of your speed in all strokes except backstroke. your coaches should teach you though, if you don't know how. The strokes that you dive for in swim meets are: Butterfly, Breastroke, and Freestyle. You do not dive for Backstroke (you start in the water).