Jumping Ability and Swimming Grab-Start Performance in Elite and Recreational Swimmers

This study examined the relationships between the performances of a swimming grab start and each of countermovement jump for distance, countermovement jump for height, squat jump for distance, and squat jump for height. Nine elite and 7 recreational female swimmers performed 6 trials in each of the 4 jumping techniques and six 25-m freestyle sprints after a grab start. Elite participants performed significantly better in the start performances, and this was attributed to the greater horizontal impulse. Correlations in the elite group revealed that grab-start performance was not related to performance of any jumps. This suggests that the grab start is independent of the jumping techniques for this group, and performance of one skill might not translate to performance in the other. Significant correla tions were found between performance of the grab start and the 4 jumps in the recreational group, possibly because of adoption of an “incorrect” motor pattern that might be similar to those of the jumps. This study highlighted the importance of practicing the start as a whole skill during training.

[1]  John W Chow,et al.  EFFECTS OF HIP FLEXOR TRAINING ON SPRINT, SHUTTLE RUN, AND VERTICAL JUMP PERFORMANCE , 2005, Journal of strength and conditioning research.

[2]  D. Robertson,et al.  Kinetics of standing broad and vertical jumping. , 1987, Canadian journal of sport sciences = Journal canadien des sciences du sport.

[3]  M F Bobbert,et al.  Jumping for distance: control of the external force in squat jumps. , 1999, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[4]  C. Armstrong,et al.  Reliability of ground reaction forces during a vertical jump: implications for functional strength assessment. , 1996, Journal of athletic training.

[5]  Raúl Arellano,et al.  A COMPARISON CMJ, SIMULATED AND SWIMMING GRAB-START FORCE RECORDINGS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE START PERFORMANCE , 2008 .

[6]  Brian Blanksby,et al.  Biomechanical analysis of the grab, track and handle swimming starts: an intervention study. , 2002, Sports biomechanics.

[7]  Bruce Mason,et al.  WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM COMPETITION ANALYSIS AT THE 1999 PAN PACIFIC SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS , 2000 .

[8]  Warren B Young,et al.  The effect of a resistance training programme on the grab, track and swing starts in swimming , 2003, Journal of sports sciences.

[9]  Brian Blanksby,et al.  A comparison of the swimming start using traditional and modified starting blocks , 1998 .

[10]  Der-Chia Lin,et al.  COMPARISON OF THE DYNAMICS OF THE SWIMMING GRAB START, SQUAT JUMP, AND COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY , 2001 .