Swimming Faster: Starts for all Strokes

with David Marsh,
Cal Berkeley Men's Assistant Coach;
Team Elite Aquatics (San Diego) Head Coach;
Israel Swimming Association Professional Adviser;
UCSD Head Coach from 2017 to 2019;
2016 USA Women's Olympic Team Head Coach;
14 Marsh-coached athletes competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympians Games;
Head Coach, SwimMAC Carolina from 2007 to 2017 (3 consecutive USA Swimming Club Excellence Championships);
Auburn Head Men's and Women's Coach - 1990 through 2007;
12x NCAA Team Championships - 7x for the Men's program, 5x for the Women's program;
including Men's/Women's sweeps in 2003 (1st time in NCAA history to have a Men's/Women's coach sweep Championships) , 2004, 2006 and 2007 ;
8x NCAA Coach of the Year;
3x USA Men's Olympic Team Assistant ('12, 00, '96);
has coached 49 Olympians from 19 different countries;
2000 & 2003 National Collegiate and Scholastic Swimming Trophy;
North Carolina Swimming Hall of Fame - 2016;
Auburn Swimming Hall of Fame - 2015;
competed at Auburn (5x All-American; backstroke)

and Bill Pilczuk, Savannah College of Art and Design Head Coach;
Auburn Assistant Coach from 1997 to 2003;
Great Britain National Sprint Coach - 2003 to 2008;
All-American Sprinter (Auburn)

In this instructional video, David Marsh, Bill Pilczuk and Kim Brackin, share the tools to generate maximum speed from the start itself through the breakout. Beginning with the forward track start (Part 1), Pilczuk presents proper foot positioning on the block, weight distribution, balance, and body lean. In Part 2, Marsh and Pilczuk detail the importance of holding a strong and rigid line when the swimmer hits the water to increase acceleration. He includes a jump and a dive sequence, both designed to help develop agility and body position awareness. Pilczuk then combines the set up with the launch for practicing the full dive. (Part 3) Marsh discusses the importance of making "soft changes" in transitioning from the actual dive into the breakout. Pilczuk then puts the entire start together at full speed. He then discusses the importance of the pre-race start routine. Next, (Part 4) Marsh discusses the components of the exchange including the athleticism of the whole body launch for advanced relay take-offs and discusses the components for a beginning level exchange. Also discussed is the 50/50-split responsibility between the swimmer finishing and the swimmer taking off in the success of the exchange. In Part 5, Marsh introduces Kim Brackin who presents a progression paralleling the forward start sequence with set up, launching drills, and the full start, including strategies for the entry, kickout, and breakout. Brackin also shares other valuable tips for a successful backstroke start.

38 minutes. 2004.