Relay Starts: The Complete Guide

First Goal for a Good Relay Start: Project Over the Water

As with a regular forward start, one of the main goals of a relay start is to cover as much distance as possible over the water. The farther you travel in the air, the less you must travel in the water. And you can travel faster with less effort over the water than in it. 

The first swimmer in a relay does a regular forward start (or backstroke start if it's a medley relay). The second, third, and fourth swimmers do relay starts (also called relay exchanges or relay transitions) and they have an advantage: Because of momentum generated by being able to move on the blocks, they can project themselves farther over the water, which means more free speed than a regular forward start.

Consider long-jump competitions. Participants take an extended run up to the jump line. Why don’t they jump from a standing position? Because the more momentum they have, the farther they can jump.

The same principle applies during relay starts. Although you have a lot less space to generate momentum during a relay start than with a long jump, the more speed you can generate, the farther you can launch yourself over the water.

All the arm and leg movements you do on the block should help you generate as much momentum as possible to launch yourself over the water. There are multiple ways to do a relay start, but your goal is always to keep everything moving forward. The more speed you can generate, the better your relay start will be. 

Second Goal for a Good Relay Start: Maintain Your Speed 

One of the main goals of a relay start is to maintain the speed you generate during your start into the water. If you don’t, you’re giving up a major advantage. 

The key to maintaining your speed is the same as with forward starts and backstroke starts: create as little resistance as possible as you enter the water. When you’re traveling through the air, you’re moving faster than at any other point in your race. Once you hit the water, you’ll slow down. 

You can maintain your speed with a good entry. The smaller your splash, the less resistance you create. Belly flops and smacking your legs aren’t effective, so be sure you maintain a streamlined position with your entire body while you’re entering the water. 

One of the challenges of a relay start is that you’re carrying a lot more speed into the water than you would during a forward start. Your path through the air is also likely different because you’re coming off your block in a slightly different position. This makes it easy to dive too shallow or too deep. You’ll have to manage these things to maintain your speed as best you can. 

Different Starting Positions for Relay Starts

There are many effective ways to do a relay start, but all have trade-offs.

The more movement you do on the block, the more opportunity you have to generate speed to help you dive out farther. The more movement you do, however, the more complex it is, which means doing it well can be difficult. In contrast, simpler relay starts are more reliable and easier to do, but they’re not quite as fast.

The best start for you depends on your abilities and comfort level.

There are two starting positions for your arms and four for your feet. These different positions can be combined in various ways.

The different arm positions are simple. Your arms can be positioned straight, directly out in front of your body, or they can be extended directly behind you. 

Where to place your feet so that you can get a running start can be more complicated. 

• The simplest option is to begin with both of your feet on the front of the block. You won’t have to move them during your start. 
• A second option is to place one foot on the front of the block and your other foot on the wedge, just as you would for a regular forward start. 
• The third option is to place both feet on the wedge. 
• The final option is to place one foot on the wedge and your second foot behind the wedge. 

Each option adds the possibility for more movement, making each one more difficult to perform but also more effective.  

Initial Movements of a Relay Start

Once you begin your relay start, you need to make a full commitment to it. When it’s time for you to go, it’s time for you to go fast. Swing your arms fast and step forward fast. This helps you generate as much speed as possible. If you’re taking a step, your arms and legs should begin moving at the same time.

If you start with your arms pulled back, swing them forward aggressively as you move forward. You’ll go through a smaller range of motion and generate less speed than with your arms forward, but the movement is easier.

If you start with your arms in front of you, you’ll need to swing them in a full circle and fast. Some swimmers will start slow and pick up speed. To generate the most momentum, swing fast throughout the entire circle.

Also make sure you stay low when you swing rather than standing up. That helps you move forward rather than up.

You don’t have to move your feet if you set up with both of your feet at the front of the block or with one foot on the front of the block and one on the wedge. If you choose to set your feet up differently, your step forward should be quick and aggressive.

The more complicated relay starts include more aggressive steps forward, which have the potential to create more speed. If you start with both of your feet on the wedge, you can then step forward with one foot remaining on the wedge, so that you do your start with one foot on the block and one on the wedge. If you start with one foot on the wedge and one behind, you can step over the wedge and land your stepping foot on the front of the block. The larger step distance allows you to generate more speed.  

The Relay Start Jump

Relay starts are like forward starts, although there are several key differences.

1. As with the forward start, your front leg does most of the work launching you down the pool. The difference with a relay start is that you should be moving forward a lot faster once it’s time to push hard with your front leg. This means that this final part of your start will happen faster. Manage this difference to ensure that you’re jumping at an appropriate angle of about 30 degrees.
2. Navigating your jump can be difficult because a lot more happens on the block right before you jump. You’ll likely be in a higher position than the crouch you’re in during your forward start. This is another reason staying low during your arm swing is important—it allows you to be in a good position to jump. And because you’re moving, you’re less likely to be in the same position every time. This requires you to be aware of your position to optimize your start. The best way to learn this skill is to practice.
3. Your jump should begin as your arms move in front of your body. That means your center of mass will be moving in front of the block when you jump by pushing as hard as you can with your front leg. Furthermore, you should use the momentum generated by your arms to carry you over the water. To do so effectively, your stepping foot needs to be in position. Ideally, your stepping leg will land just as your arms swing in line with your body. As they come in front of your body, push hard with your front leg and shoot into the water. 

What Your Arms Should Do During a Relay Start 

Your arms are critical for helping you quickly create momentum on the block.  

To comprehend how much they do so, stand up, swing your arms forward, and feel how they pull you forward. The harder you swing, the more pull you experience. They should pull you across the block, off the block, and out over the pool.  

One of the keys to effective arm action is to swing your arms aggressively to move your body forward. Many swimmers begin their arm swing with too much hesitation, which makes generating the appropriate arm speed harder. Other swimmers simply move their arms slowly the whole time.  

To take advantage of your relay start, swing your arms quickly. Commit to the start! Swinging your arms in a full circle helps you create more speed than if you just swing them forward. The drawback to the full circle movement is that you need the shoulder range of motion to do so effectively and safely. If you can, use the full arm swing; if not, be aggressive with the half swing. 

One of the biggest challenges for your arms is getting into an effective streamline position in air. Your arms move faster during a relay start than they do in a forward start, and they also go through a bigger range of motion. This may cause your hands to not end up in the same place at the same time. Practicing this skill on land can help you be more aggressive with your arm swing while gaining the confidence that you can control your swing and get into a great streamlined position every time. 

Proper Entry for a Relay Start 

Your entry into the water is the first major challenge to maintaining the speed you create off the block. Your entire body should enter through the same hole, so don’t do a belly flop or let your legs smack the water. 

A good rule of thumb: The louder and bigger your splash, the more speed you’re going to lose. If you keep it pretty and quiet, you’re on the right track. 

Doing a great entry during a relay start is more difficult than doing one during a forward start for several reasons: 

You often do your relay start from a slightly different position than you would for your forward start. You’re probably standing a little taller, which can affect how you push off the block. If you’re not used to the position, you might not know exactly how to push off at the proper angle of about 30 degrees. This can lead you to dive shallower or deeper than you intended.  

A good relay start is like a runaway train. You create a lot of speed off the block, but if that speed isn’t moving where you want to go, adjusting can be tough. If you step a little to the left or right, or if you swing your arms up or down a little, that can make a great entry more difficult. The more precise you can be with how you do the start itself, the cleaner your entry will be.

Common Relay Start Mistakes 

The most common relay start mistakes have to do with failing to take advantage of the opportunities relay starts provide. 

Your relay start allows you to create more speed on the block and therefore carry more speed into the water. If you’re hesitant with your step forward, your arm swing, or both, your start will be slower than it could be. Be as aggressive as possible to create as much speed as possible.  

Standing up during your start can also slow you down. Standing up while you’re stepping forward or swinging your arms reduces the forward motion you’re creating. Move forward, not up. 

Perhaps the biggest mistake is simply not working on your relay starts. Although relay starts are very similar to forward starts, there are some key differences that can be difficult to get right in racing conditions if you haven’t practiced them.  

This is especially true if you’re particularly concerned about the timing of your start. Of course, this is a valid concern because you can get disqualified if you leave the block before your relay teammate touches the wall. 

Swimmers often find themselves going unexpectedly deep on their relay starts because they enter the water at a different angle than the one they’ve worked on for the forward start. If you go too deep, you might end up going past 15 meters underwater, which will also lead to a disqualification. 

Another mistake is choosing the wrong start. There are many different starts to choose from. Choose the most aggressive one that you can do consistently well. Don’t do a start that gets you disqualified. At the same time, avoid playing it safe if you’re capable of more. Explore the different options and use the one that consistently produces the best outcome. 

Improving Timing 

One of the challenges of relay starts is that not only do you have to do everything properly, but you must do everything properly at the right time. You want to leave the block exactly when your teammate touches the wall. 

How can you learn great timing? You must practice it.  

To improve your timing, practice with swimmers of different speeds and swimmers doing different strokes. The added variability helps you learn to read the rhythm and speed of the incoming swimmer. You must be able to get a sense of when to begin your relay start. Getting exposed to a variety of situations is great for that. 

A great way to do this is to spend 5–10 minutes one or two times a week on relay exchanges. Rather than viewing it as just relay exchanges, consider it valuable sprint work as well. Instead of just doing short sprints, you might as well incorporate those short sprints into finish work and relay exchanges. It’s more effective and more fun than just doing sprint sets. Small amounts of work performed consistently will have the biggest impact on helping you learn these key skills.  

At first, you don’t have to worry about whether your timing was exactly right. You’ll get better simply by practicing. As you improve, you’re going to need more effective feedback. The best way to do this is to have a teammate or coach watch the start and finish and let you know if you need to adjust your timing. Getting feedback from multiple people can be helpful to ensure there’s a consensus regarding how well you’re doing. When in doubt, video confirmation can be great for ensuring your timing is perfect.