How to Improve a Freestyle Start

In this article, we’ll provide drills, hacks and tips on how to improve a swimmer’s freestyle start.

Introduction: Many races, especially sprints, are lost even before the swimmers have entered the water, due to a poorly executed start.

The development of a fast, explosive, shallow freestyle start with distance, should be a key objective of all competitive swimmers.

A solid starting position, with the swimmer leaning forward on the balls of their feet.
The swimmer should react quickly to the starting signal (gun, bleep, etc.)
They should be explosive off the starting block, driving through their thighs, legs, balls of their feet and big toes.
The swimmer should thrust their arms forward off the starting block, into a streamlined position, which should be maintained on entry into the water.
The swimmer’s hands, arms, head, body, legs and feet should all enter the water through the same entry point.
The depth of the dive should be shallow enough to ensure that the speed of the start is maintained.
This should be followed by strong, quick underwater dolphin kicking.
A smooth, quick and shallow breakout into a full freestyle stroke

Types of competitive freestyle start

There are two types of competitive freestyle starts, the track start and the grab start.

Key components for an effective freestyle track start are:

The swimmer should place one foot in front of the other.
Most swimmers put their stronger leg in the back position
Their feet should be approximately shoulder-width apart.
The swimmer should be in a stable position on the starting block.
They should curl their toes of the leading foot, over the edge of the starting block, enabling them to push off the block with maximum force.
The swimmer’s head should be tucked down, with their chin resting on their chest.
Swimmers should ensure that their hips are as high as possible.
The swimmer’s centre of gravity should be positioned at the edge of the starting block.
The swimmer’s arms should be extended forward and grabbing hold of the front edge of the starting block with both hands.
This should enable them to pull themselves off the starting block with maximum force.

Key components for an effective freestyle grab start are:

The swimmer should place their feet in a parallel position approximately 15cms (6 inches) apart.
They should be in a stable position on the starting block.
The swimmer should curl their toes over the edge of the starting block.
This should enable them to pull themselves off the starting block with maximum force.
Their head should be tucked down, with their chin resting on their chest.
Swimmers should ensure that their hips are as high as possible.
The swimmer places their hands either inside or outside of their feet, whichever they find most comfortable.
The swimmer’s centre of gravity should be positioned at the edge of the starting block.

Freestyle Start Drills

Poolside/Deck ‘blast’ jump

Introduction: A poolside/deck introductory drill to demonstrate the explosive power required when starting off the blocks.

How to perform this drill: Ensure the swimmer finds some safe space on the poolside/deck away from the pool’s edge.

Ensure the swimmer squats down on the balls of their feet, with their hands by their side touching the poolside/deck floor.
On the command ‘jump’ the swimmer performs an explosive jump upwards by extending their arms, legs and feet, into a tight streamlined position.
Ensure the swimmers drive from the thighs, through the lower legs and finally from the balls of their feet through their toes.

Finding the balancing point

Introduction: Often younger or inexperienced swimmers when starting to learn how to perform a competitive start, find it difficult to locate their ideal starting position on the block.

This is the first in a series of drills to help find the swimmer’s ‘balancing point’ on the starting block.
This is the starting position where they are steady enough to ensure they are still before the starting signal but balanced ready to blast quickly off the starting block to achieve a fast reaction time.

How to perform this drill: The swimmer assumes their preferred starting position on the starting block.

In the swimmer’s own time, they roll forward on the balls of their feet, until they feel they cannot go forward any more without falling into the water but are in a stable starting position (their balancing point)
The swimmer then rolls back to their original starting position.

Finding the balancing point with a dive

Introduction: The next in a series of drills to develop the swimmer’s preferred starting position on the starting block.

How to perform this drill: As above but for this drill, the swimmer finds their balancing point, then rolls back on the block

The swimmer then again rolls forward to find their balancing point and then performs a racing dive.
Ensure the swimmer is driving through their thighs, the balls of feet, big toes and extend their legs into a streamlined position while performing their dive.
Ensure the swimmer thrusts their arms forward off the starting block, into a streamlined position, which needs to be maintained on entry into the water.

Racing start development

Introduction: The last in a series of drills to develop an effective racing start.

How to perform this drill: As above but for this drill, once the swimmer finds their balancing point, they perform a racing dive off the starting block, in their own time.

To achieve a shallow racing dive, ensure the swimmer explodes outwards off the starting blocks.
If the swimmer is diving too deep, it may be that the swimmer is not driving outwards off the starting block, but instead, they are driving downwards.
When a swimmer looks down towards the bottom of the pool throughout the driving phases of their start, then this sometimes results in the dive being too deep.
If the swimmer can lift their head for a split second, during the driving phases of their start, then this sometimes results in a shallower dive.
Another common fault, resulting in a deep racing dive, is the swimmer’s hands position, as the swimmer locks their hands into a streamlined position off the starting blocks.
The swimmer should slightly raise the tips of their fingers, which raises their hands slightly. This may result in the dive being performed to the correct depth.
The coach needs to give the swimmer feedback, regarding any technical adjustments that may be needed. Also, praise the good aspects of their start.

Timed starts

Introduction: A timed drill to further develop an effective racing start.

How to perform this drill: In order to test the effectiveness of your swimmer’s starts from the diving block, swimmers should perform a race pace racing start.

The coach will stand at the poolside/deck at 15m where a marker will be placed.
As the swimmer passes the marker with their head, the coach will stop their stopwatch and record the result.
The coach should give the swimmer feedback, regarding the time achieved. Also, any technical adjustments that may be needed and praise the good things about their start.

Coach Arthur says: “Swimmers should remember that freestyle is the fastest competitive stroke. Therefore, when starting as soon as they feel they are losing the momentum of the dive and the underwater dolphin kicking, they should break out into their stroke”.

Takeaways

Many races, especially sprints, are lost even before the swimmers have entered the water, due to a poorly executed start.

The development of a fast, explosive, shallow racing dive with distance, should be a key objective of all competitive swimmers.

Related publication: FREESTYLE Competitive Swimming Drills

We have published a related publication: FREESTYLE Competitive Swimming Drills. For further details and ordering information please use the following link: FREESTYLE Competitive Swimming Drills

Related publication: Swimming Plus: Freestyle

Swimming Plus is a publication designed for those swimmers who want to improve their freestyle swimming technique.

Swimming Plus provides you with a series of structured and progressive session training plans, plus detailed drill descriptions and expert coaching tips.
With Swimming Plus you can progress at your own pace when it’s convenient for you.

For further details and ordering information please use the following link: Swimming Plus: Freestyle

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We have provided a swimming resource library, containing links to all of our publications and blog articles. To access any article simply click on the attached page link: Swimming resource library

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