The track start decides tenths of a second in a race: takeoff angle, diving 'through the hole', and the underwater redirection, trained properly.
## Introduction Why do you lose tenths of a second at the start even when you push off hard? Honest answer: it's not jump power that decides the race, it's your entry angle and how cleanly you dive "through the hole." The track start – one foot forward at the edge, the other back on the starting wedge – has completely replaced the classic parallel start in competitive swimming because it delivers a faster reaction time and a longer acceleration path.
This guide squeezes the maximum out of your start: from the push-off through the flight phase to redirecting into swimming direction underwater. On sprint distances especially, a clean start is often the difference between the podium and the chase pack. A technically clean start hands you a head start you'd otherwise have to swim back over the next 15-20 meters.
## What You Need - Starting block, ideally with an adjustable starting wedge on the rear platform. - Sufficient water depth in the swimmer's pool area – mandatory for safe entry. - Snug-fitting goggles, so they don't shift on impact.
### 1. The starting position On "take your marks," move into the split stance and hold completely still. Front foot's toes grip the block edge firmly, back foot rests on the wedge, hands also grip the front edge. Your center of mass sits slightly back, head lowered. This stillness isn't a side detail – any wasted movement here costs you reaction time later. Find your individual foot stance in training, not in competition, since small differences in leg length noticeably shift the optimal position.
### 2. The takeoff At the signal, your hands pull the body dynamically forward. The trick of the track start: your legs extend one after the other, not simultaneously – back leg first, then the front. This staggered force delivery is the actual time gain over the old parallel start, because you're already building force while the parallel start is still winding up.
### 3. Flight phase – through the hole Body fully extended, brief glance forward, then head tucked between the arms, chin to chest. Fingertips point exactly at your entry point. Goal: hands, head, torso, and legs pass through the same point on the surface, one after another – as if diving through a single hole. The ideal entry angle sits at 10 to 20 degrees – flat enough to avoid braking, steep enough to carry speed down with you. For comparison: a belly flop is basically an angle close to zero, with maximum braking effect.
### 4. Redirection underwater Once you're in, you need to quickly convert that steep angle into horizontal swimming direction. Look forward and slightly up underwater, guide your hands gently into horizontal. That pushes you into a flat glide before powerful dolphin kicks carry the speed into your first stroke (the breakout). Sleep on this redirection and you lose exactly the head start the dive was supposed to give you. The number of dolphin kicks before the breakout is individual – experiment in training to find how many feel most powerful for you without running out of air.
## Common Mistakes - Too flat a flight curve. Without a real rising phase, you land early and flat like a belly flop – maximum braking effect, and the whole time gain from the start is gone. - Lifting the head on entry. Trying to see where you land tips the head back. The body kinks, the "hole" is destroyed, and the goggles usually rip off with it. - Extending both legs at once. Pushing off with both legs together, like in the old parallel start, throws away exactly the time advantage the track start was built for.
## Safety Notes Start dives and head-first entries carry an extreme risk of head and cervical spine injuries in water that's too shallow. Never practice the track start's steep entry angle in a non-swimmer or teaching pool. Skip hyperventilation before the start entirely (fast, deep breathing) – it can lead to a life-threatening shallow-water blackout underwater. If in doubt, get the water depth confirmed by the lifeguard or your coach before diving from the block.
## Pro Tip Practice head steering and aiming "through the hole" first with simple dolphin dives from the pool edge into shallow water – no block at all. Focus only on: tip, extend, steer with the head. Only once your body forms a straight line in the air should you add the block and the asymmetric foot push-off. Feel free to film yourself from the side with your phone – judging entry angle is much easier on video than by feel alone.
### Why is the track start faster than the parallel start? Because the legs extend one after another instead of together. The back leg starts the push, the front leg follows immediately – this staggered force delivery gives you a shorter reaction time and more acceleration path than the old, symmetrical start.
### What does "diving through the hole" mean? Hands, head, torso, and legs should all pass through exactly the same point on the water surface instead of crashing in wide. That minimizes frontal resistance on entry almost completely.
### What's the ideal entry angle? 10 to 20 degrees relative to the water surface. Flatter turns into a belly flop with high braking effect; steeper and you lose too much depth and time on the way back up.
### Can I practice the track start without a starting block? Yes, and it's actually recommended. Practice dolphin dives from the pool edge into shallow water first, to automate head steering and your entry point, before training the full jump from the block.
### Why do my goggles keep ripping off at the start? Usually because you lift your head on entry instead of keeping it tucked between your arms. That throws off the impact angle and the goggles take the full force of the water. Get a tighter fit and drill your head position.
Body Position & Rotation: Optimizing Streamline