• Types of starting position

    Grab Start: Swimmers crouch on the block, gripping the front of the block with their hands and pushing off with their feet. This is the traditional start used in most swimming events.


    Track Start    : Swimmers stand with their feet on a track or platform with a wider base, allowing for better balance and power. They push off from the track with both legs.

Grab Start

Track Start

  • Most effective starting position?

    Track Start is the most effective way to start the race for any competitive swimmer.


    Stability and flexibility are essential for the making the most of your start in swimming. Focus on building a stable position through your ankles, knees and hips.

    1. Your feet should be around shoulder width apart with the toes of both feet facing forwards.

    2. If your knees are bending inwards, correct it by building up your leg strength through squats and lunges

    3. To avoid having your back leg knee or toes facing outwards, work on improving your flexibility and balance on the block by stretching your hamstrings and glutes.

  • Advantages of Track Start

    Balance: A track start provides a wider base with feet spread, offering better balance than the narrower grab start.


    Weight Distribution    : Track starts allow flexible weight distribution, aiding either quick exits (front-weighted) or strong acceleration (rear-weighted). Grab starts offer limited weight adjustment.

    Tension: Track starts enable greater overall body tension, which helps achieve a streamlined entry, while grab starts limit this tension.

    Hips: A track start allows for higher hip positioning compared to a grab start, which depends more on flexibility.

    Reaction Time: Track starts enable propulsion from both the grip pull and back leg, whereas grab starts rely mainly on the grip pull.

    Streamlining: Track starts facilitate a quicker transition to a streamlined position compared to the more compact grab start.