How to do swim starts?

Question

Ok, so I do swim team and I'm really pretty good at the swimming, but not the starts. I took some lessons this summer and my instructor held out his arm so I had to jump over it and I did my starts perfectly. But usually I just kinda flop into the water and I hate it. Do you think you can give me any tips on how to do perfect swim starts?

Answer 1

I felt the same way when i started to learn swimming. My starts were TERRIBLE! Im on a team, so now its fixed :) Lol my starts are almost exactly like michael phelp's. i bring my head up, arms bent at my sides... (im not a great teacher/exlpainer, ill try my best).

When you start, and you flop into the water, its becuase your body is not straight, and you just kinda fall off the block. Next time, try keeping your head down, arms in a perfect streamline. When you dive in, keep your body STRAIGHT....legs too. You dont have to push off that hard, just focus on keeping yourself straight. Or, you can even just streamline, and fall off the block straight down, then moderatly start adding a tiny jump, then bigger, then bigger. Once you have that down, do a start, but push off hard. Try to make your body straight, angled, down toward the water. Just imagine thers a pole you have to dive over (aka invisible insructor arm). That might help.

Some quick tips:

Head down between your arms  (on a team, they might teach you a diff. way, youll see if you are taught that anytime....)

Tight streamline

Straight body while entering

Kick off the block

Legs together

I hope this helps :)

Answer 2

you wanna just push off the wall with your legs and do a streamline in the air

Answer 3

First of all, depending on your age, I would recommend learning the two different starts.  One is a jump start where your feet are at the front of the block and the other is a track start where your legs are staggered.  I find younger athletes lacking the arm strength to effectively perform a track start.  They may enter correctly, but truly do not have the speed they need.  The track start incorporates the arms to supplement the forward and lifting motion off of the blocks.  The jump start relies on the legs and most younger swimmers are very strong in the legs.  Head position is crucial in starts.  Remember you enter the water through the hands and arms, not on your face, neck and chest.  Think of it like diving into a tube.  Of course, this tube is on a slight angle.  (Starts are about distance, being shallow and fast)  Have you ever had proper learn to swim diving training?  This will provide you with proper water entry as a beginning to learning

racing starts.   Remember to keep your legs behind you and not jump bringing them forward.  good luck

Answer 4

Picture your instructors arm is there and just keep practicing.

Here are some links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KGu9NSlZ...

http://swimming.about.com/gi/dynamic/off...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa...

Hope this helps, Happy swimming!

Answer 5

hands up, push off, try to push in head first, then do a dolphin kick in the water come up, and then do the  

Answer 6

Hey! I am also on a swim team, we swim out of Norwell. And not to brag or anything I am pretty good at swim starts! There are many different starts and teqniqes for doing them, (also there are differnt ones for each stroke. So if you really wants some help, E-mail me and I will give you a step-by-step instructions for a star. I just don't exactly know what stroke you are struggling with. Please e-mail

Sarah