Relay Starts

Relay Starts

        

 

with Coach David Ellinghaus of the BEGNW Marlins
BY KELSEY SAVAGE HAYS
 
Starts set the pace for any race, but in a relay, there are three other people depending on you to nail it successfully.
 
The pressure causes some swimmers to hesitate and others to spring ahead, with splits significantly faster than their individual events.
 
Here’s some advice from coach David Ellinghaus of the BEGNW Marlins for swimmers looking to improve their relay starts:
 
The Arms
“It’s important that the starter is confident getting momentum from his arms,” says Ellinghaus. The swimmer should keep his hands out front of his body and use them to track the finisher in the water. When it’s time, the starter swings his arms up and over his head, and follows their movement into a dive. Once you’ve started swinging your arms, focus on producing a fast dive.
 
The Legs
In a top-notch relay start, the racer takes a full step forward, all the way from the back of the block to the front with both feet. This step propels the body and is a big part of what makes the relay start faster than a flat start. Novice relay racers might try building up to the full step by keeping one foot at the front of the block and the other at the back. With one foot or two, the step is taken just as the arms come down and forward—the whole body moves in one fluid motion towards the water.
 
Putting It Together
To perform a relay start effectively, the swimmer initiates his arms before the finisher touches the wall. The time when the athlete on the block begins circling their arms depends on the speed of the incoming swimmer and how long it takes the athlete on the block to complete the relay start.  Judging the timing of when to begin the relay start is why it is very important to practice it.”
 
Ellinghaus makes sure his swimmers practice off all their teammates to prevent error, even if the relay order changes during a meet. And don’t neglect the finishes. Ellinghaus says, “nine times out of ten, a poor start is the fault of the swimmer in the water.” An extra stroke or long glide can cause a false start. To prevent that, Ellinghaus practices finishes as much as starts—helping his swimmers perform the best relays possible