1. New South Wales Institute of Sport Swimming New South Wales
Jim Fowlie
Head Coach
New South Wales Institute of Sport
Swimming New South Wales
Jim Fowlie
Head Coach NSWIS / SNSW

2. ‘Take Your Mark’ Solid base – feet apart Relaxed – Tension Grab start
Assist stretch reflex action
Grab start
Centre of Gravity over leading edge

3. Track start vs. Grab start ?
Individual factors
Growth and development
Length of limbs
Ability to generate power in the hips
equipment factors
Size of blocks
Handles
Grip
Foot peddles

4. ‘Go’ Over come Inertia: Pull (arms) – Push (hips)
Drop (knees) – Push (hips)
Hips are largest joint in the body and slowest to get started…. Need help especially with Girls and young swimmers.
Down and Out!
Not up and over

5. ‘Air time’
0 – 15 degrees downward angle of hips from action to take off
Snap off the block
Toe nails to Finger nails – tight and straight

6. ‘Entry’ Tight Hole Finger nails to toe nails Tummy and seat tight
Train buckling effect
Moving from 5 m/sec to 2.5 m/sec in one body length
Hole
Size depends on angle (product of height) and straight body (product of tension in core)
3 cm to 97 cm

7. ‘Glide and Kick’ Through the Tube! Hold glide to ‘moment of slowing’
1st impulse – Kick up
Small fast kicks progress to large kicks as progress through the start.

8. ‘Break-out’ Kick through the break-out! Blow out on 1st stroke
Try extra fly kicks on first stroke freestyle
Blow out on 1st stroke
Don’t breath on 1st strokes!

9. ‘Practice’ Part of Speed work Frequency Timed Video feedback Relays
Season of a 1000 starts
10 starts a day for 100 days
4 starts a w.o. for a season
Timed
Video feedback
Delayed hard-drives great!
Relays
20% faster
20% further