The Bionic Swimmer

Baseball and Golf?

Believe it or not, swimming starts are comparable to baseball hitting or golf swings.  The biomechanics are comparable.  Baseball hitters and golfers use muscles and coordination patterns to develop swing power similar to those  swimmers use in starts from a starting block.  These similarities provide insight into efficient power generation.

Baseball hitters effectively use muscular preload or "coil" to develop optimal power, which results from their ability to stretch and contract muscles.  Golfers use a smooth transition from backswing ("coil"/stretch) to downswing power generation (contraction) which allows muscles to create and use potential energy.

As is in baseball hitting and the golf swing, forced, erratic or excessively fast tempo inhibits muscular stretch.

Swimming

An important part of the swim start occurs at takeoff.  The timing of the takeoff leap is what makes or breaks a powerful start.  Height and distance are determined by position at take-off.  The laws of physics (ballistics) tell us that the optimum angle is 45° for the maximum projectile distance.  If an athlete wants to throw a ball the farthest possible distance, a 45° angle is optimum.  The swimmer likewise should culminate the power generation during the squatting motion towards a height and distance optimum angle of 45°.

Launch angle is defined as the line between the contact position of the feet on the blocks (should be the toes at the edge of the block) and the swimmer's center of gravity (CG).  Getting the angle right depends on using the eyes as the aiming device and the extended hands as the guidance system.  This is one of the reasons why it is important to get the arms up quickly, pointing the way up and out as though aiming up towards the backstroke flags.

An excessively slow tempo, especially with a pause between the backswing and downswing, allows potential energy to be dissipated.  In baseball and golf it is important to understand that the power generation comes from the transfer of energy from the larger muscles to the smaller muscles in the arm.  This culminating energy is driven through the narrow handle of the club or bat and released as they are driven into impact with the ball.

A pause during the squatting (the "back swing" of the vertical jump) is much like a pause during the back swing in golf or baseball.  An excessively slow tempo in squatting or stretching the elastic muscles as we see from the track-start technique allows potential energy to be squandered.

Symmetric Power Generation

Baseball hitters allow the big muscles of the lower body (legs) to actuate power generation.  The weight transfers and force is applied by the legs which creates hip segment speed.  Golfers use the same lower body power generation resulting from the weight transfer of the legs' muscular power.  If the golfer or baseball hitter slides or spins the hips, power production is lost.

Swimmers jumping from the starting blocks should use the same lower body power generation resulting from the weight transfer of the leg's muscular power culminating through the hips.  If the swimmer's starting stance is with the hips too high, this will inhibit the muscular stretch.  If the swimmer's starting stance is with the hips too low the potential energy from the elastic muscles will be dissipated or lost.  The timing is also critical, as shown in Vertical Jumping Factors.

One of the important aspects of power generation is symmetric muscular contraction.  If the athlete begins to "tilt" to either the left or the right, some muscles will be compressed and others lengthened.  In either case, not only is power production sacrificed, but increased back and upper body stress may result.  The consequences are a hook or slice in baseball or golf.  The dive entry for a swimming start will also either hook or slice.  In swimming this is referred to as body attitude.

Symmetric muscular contraction offers us another reason why the track-start technique is not as desirable or powerful a starting technique as a "properly executed" or "optimally executed" two-foot start technique, such as the PowerStart technique.  (see Stage #5 - Downward motion).

Baseball hitters and golfers use big muscles to accelerate smaller body segments. This allows them to create incredible rotational speed and power. (see Push the Energy, Pull the Body).