Video: How To Have A Start Like Caeleb Dressel

At this point, it’s a well-known fact that Caeleb Dressel has one of the best starts in the sport. His overwhelming strength in seemingly every event he swam at this past World Championships cemented that statement even further. This was exactly our inspiration for this weeks video.

A lot of people struggle with theirs starts as a weakness that is more much difficult to fix than a simple technique tip in your stroke or an added drill to your training. A good start is the difference between swimming through clean or choppy water during a sprint or an upper hand on your competition in a distance event.

We recommend three various tips in this video to find your perfect foot placement, teach your body not to lean backward (a common mistake), and then finally to work with a partner on reaction time. All super fun and simple fixes to your start that will surely pay dividends at your next meet. Also, do yourself a favor and watch a few YouTube videos of Dressel’s start.

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Music by Joakim Karud

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e Train
6 years ago

I never understood the track style start vs the broad jump style with two legs up front. Track athletes put one leg behind because that leg is coming up for another step opposite the front leg, but swimmers legs are parallel at just after start. The swim start is nothing more than a standing broad jump, so why would jump with just one leg?

Admin
Reply to  e Train
6 years ago

E train – there are two reasons why: 1) with the new wedges at the back of the block, it becomes a no brainer. 2) it’s a matter of reaction time for power tradeoff. One gets more power with a two footed start, but is slower off the block. That’s why you’ll see more two footed jumps on relay starts – where it’s timing rather than reaction timing that matters.

IMs for days
6 years ago

How to have a start like Calaeb Dressel:

You can’t

Seriously, ESPN would be all over this guy if he did football or some other sport.

sven
6 years ago

Couple things on tips one and three:
I know some studies have been done on rear-weighted vs. front-weighted vs. neutral starts, and while front-weighted starts typically result in getting off the blocks slightly sooner, the rear-weighted starts had a higher velocity while leaving the block. The best style for each swimmer is obviously gonna vary since some swimmers have a high rate of force production but low peak force, and vice versa, but since his name is being used to get hits it’s worth mentioning that Caeleb Dressel is definitely not front-weighted.

On point three, I agree that that’s a good drill to do to improve reaction time, but I believe it will get you in trouble if you’re… Read more »

willy beeman
6 years ago

Is that photo in FLO RIDA? I’d like to be there. It sucks here.

Ryan
Reply to  willy beeman
6 years ago

It is! It may look enjoyable but summers in south Florida are grueling!!!

E Gamble
Reply to  willy beeman
6 years ago

Most pools are too hot for swimming in SF.

Breaststroker
6 years ago

I hoped to see Dressel and Troy 🙁
But this still helps
Thanks Swimswam

Ryan
Reply to  Breaststroker
6 years ago

Glad we could help out! Going to try and get troy and/or Dressel in a video soon enough, wasn’t in Gainesville over the summer so this had to suffice ?

crooked donald
6 years ago

You forgot having a 40+ inch vertical leap. Kind of key.

Pvdh
Reply to  crooked donald
6 years ago

Easy. Trampoline.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Pvdh
6 years ago
Ryan
Reply to  crooked donald
6 years ago

Can 100% attest to this. Had the pleasure of training with Caeleb while swimming at UF and he is a monster in the weight room. Kid can box jump my height. Wouldn’t want to be playing against him in a pickup basketball game that’s forsure