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Progressive Teaching
Doing any kind of start requires a certain amount of skill.
| Regardless of depth of pool or height of starting block, use of starting-blocks should be limited to competitive and instructional situations. Proper teaching progressions are essential to confident learning and safe skill development. |
We have found that raising the height hurdle of the PowerStarts® Training SystemTM causes the swimmer to initially dive deeper and faster at entry, until PowerStarts® training teaches the swimmer to control the depth. We have also observed that the first exposure to a height hurdle, no matter how high, projects an image in the mind of most swimmers that they must jump higher than they are comfortable with.
Comments are often heard from swimmers during their first two practice start dives using the PowerStarts® Training SystemTM that it is too high and they can't clear that height. However, 90% of the time they do clear it and very easily. Yet during the second attempt, even when no adjustments have been made they still have a hard time believing that they actually did clear the height and distance already or that they can do it again.
Usually by the third attempt, the swimmer is confident enough that he or she even suggests that the height or distance be increased. The swimmer has new found confidence, then wants to see just how much can be accomplished. It becomes an exciting challenge to the swimmers as they experience success and immediate feedback to their efforts at an endeavor they did not think was possible. This can be an extremely fun and rewarding experience!
Individualized Instruction
Some coaches and swimmers may assume that, since everyone has easily cleared a certain height, everyone else that hasn't tried should also be able to clear the same height. However, the swimmer may be accustomed to a flat dive entry and any gain in height will also mean a deeper dive. The swimmer may not be used to diving deep and may not have the skills necessary to steer out of a deep entry.
The result is often an undesirable deep entry
which has the potential for disaster if the swimmer impacts the bottom of the
pool.
| No assumptions should be made. The student should demonstrate an ability to steer out of a deep entry prior to raising the height hurdle. |
For most swimmers attempting to clear the height and distance hurdles for the first time, at least two practice dives will be required for their minds to comprehend what is expected of their body. Usually after just two dives, the mind and body have a general understanding of what is expected.
Once the swimmer has "gotten the hang of it", subsequent dives allow for fine tuning the PowerStarts® TechniqueTM. After the swimmer has demonstrated that he or she can clear the challenge without too deep an entry, then and only then should adjustments be made to increase the challenge. Small adjustments can be made to the challenge before increasing the height or the distance hurdles. Judgments should be made of how the swimmer responds prior to proceeding with any further adjustments.
Demonstrated Skills
It may be necessary that the swimmer practice from the side of the pool before proceeding with practice from a starting block if the swimmer has not learned steering skills.
| It is important to remember that the height of the dive increases the velocity and the depth of the dive. Velocity may be two-to-five times faster than what the swimmer is accustomed. |
What works at slower velocities may not work for the same swimmer at higher velocities. A learning progression allows the swimmer to make timely adjustments.
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Coaches should observe by how much each swimmer clears the hurdles at a relatively simple challenge before making any adjustments. Particular attention should be paid to the depth of the swimmer's entry. If the entry is deep, do not raise the height hurdles until the swimmer has learned the skill of arching the back and steering to the proper depth. |