While working with Sid Cassidy and Ramon Walton at St. Andrews Aquatics, they shared with us their method of teaching a piercing start.

Why do it:
A clean entry can allow you to carry more velocity into the water, and into your underwater dolphins.

How to do it:
1 - Start by getting the swimmer to understand the start is ATHLETIC... Have them JUMP as far as they can from the blocks.
2 - Move off the block and have the swimmer lean over in the streamline position, and while remaining solid from the shoulders to the fingers, slowly fall and jump into the water.
3 - Initiate making the line active, by swinging the arms a few times, the flowing into the streamline line, and in rhythm, fall and jump into the water.
4 - Move it to the blocks, and do a few starts.

How to do it really well (the fine points):
When doing the leaned over position from the side, the focus is on the FLAT BACK.  Give the swimmer enough time in step 2, to really isolate that flat line, before moving to the active action in step 3.

Don't rush it, and your swimmers will be slipping into the water, carrying great momentum into their underwater dolphins.

Sign In to watch video

Starts - St. Andrews Starts