Forward Start Drills

This group of drills will help you focus on improving your forward start. They range from basic to more advanced so you can progress along the drills as you get more comfortable.

For safety, always practice starts, including start drills, with a qualified coach and in the deep end of the pool.

Wall Pull and Roll

Wall pull and roll helps you learn how to use your arms to pull yourself down and forward, the direction you go during a start. Using your arms is critical for starting the process of moving your body forward and rolling your hips into position for a great leg drive.

To perform this drill, get into the starting position with one foot on the edge of the pool and your hands gripping the deck or gutter. Pull hard against the deck or gutter to start your body moving forward. Keep your head down, and don’t push with your front leg. The momentum generated by your arms should flip you over as you would while doing a somersault.

One-Legged Wall Standing Start

One-legged wall standing start helps you learn to drive and push off using your front leg.

To do this drill, from a standing position on the edge of the pool, lift one leg off the ground. Your arms can start in whichever position is most comfortable. Lean forward, and as you start to fall, drive off your lone leg on the deck and dive into the pool. Although you may prefer starting with one leg forward, alternate which leg you push off with.

One-Legged Wall Start From Starting Position

One-legged wall start from starting position helps you learn to drive and push off using your front leg.

To do this drill, get into a starting position with both hands gripping the edge of the pool. Once in position, lift your back leg off the ground. When you’re stable, dive into the water. Focus on pushing as hard as possible through the pool deck. Use your arms to get your body moving forward. Don’t worry about the quality of your dive. Focus on pushing hard. Although you may prefer starting with one leg forward, alternate which leg you push off with.

Wall Starts

To do wall starts, simply get into a starting position and then dive into the water.

Getting a lot of leverage with your back leg is difficult from the pool deck, so you’ll have to initiate your start with your arms and then push hard with your front leg. The value of this drill is that it continues to reinforce the use of your arms and front leg, two key skills many swimmers struggle with.

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Bottom Jumps

One of the most important aspects of the start comes after you enter the water. You want to keep as much speed as possible by staying streamlined. Bottom jumps help you learn how to achieve and maintain great body alignment.

To do this drill, jump up and down in streamlined position in water a little deeper than your height. The goal is to land in the exact same spot each time. If your body isn’t completely straight when you jump, you’ll move out of position and will struggle to land in the same spot.

Hole-in-One Entries

The cleaner your entry during a start, the less resistance you create and the more speed you’ll maintain. The size of your splash is a great indicator of how effective your entry was—the bigger the splash, the less effective your entry.

Hole-in-one entries is a long-term progression. You’ll start with the easiest dive you can perform without a splash. For most, this is simply falling in from the side of the pool. Once you’re entering through one hole, practice gradually jumping out farther. You can continue to progress by moving into a starting position and then moving through the same sequence on a block. This takes time. Just focus on keeping your entries clean.

One-Legged Block Standing Start

Driving off your front leg is critical for a great start, which makes one-legged block standing start a great drill.

To do this drill, step onto the edge of the block and lift one leg into the air. Begin with your arms wherever is most comfortable. Lean forward until you begin to fall and then drive as hard as you can into the block to dive into the water. Although you may prefer starting with one leg forward, alternate which leg you push off with.

One-Legged Forward Start From Starting Position

One-legged forward start from starting position helps you develop the important skill of driving off your front leg.

To do this drill, get into a starting position on the block and lift your back leg off the block. Then perform the start. You’ll have to use your arms to initiate the start and push hard through the block to dive into the water. Although you may prefer starting with one leg forward, alternate which leg you push off with.

Streamlined Starts

Streamlined starts encourage you to dive out and help you learn to dive in a straight, rigid line. This helps you enter the water cleanly and maintain your speed.

To do this drill, stand on the block in a streamlined position. Push your hips back while remaining in streamlined position, aiming your streamline out over the water. Drive into the block and dive into the water.

Cactus Starts

Many swimmers struggle to go from having their hands on the blocks to grasping their hands together before entering the water so they can ensure they get into streamlined position. This is critical to doing a good start.

To do cactus starts, stand on a block with both of your hands like they’re in a high-five position and you resemble a cactus. While maintaining this position, bend over and then dive into the water, shooting your hands into a streamlined position while doing so.