Q&A for How to Dive off a Starting Block

Try to dive diagonally into the water. Pretend you are reaching for something in between the water surface and the bottom of the pool.

Rather than looking at where you're going to land in the water, keep your chin against your chest. This will keep the force from the impact from ripping your goggles away from your face, and it will also keep from injuring your face.

Push off harder with your back leg and when you're higher in the air, straighten out both legs and put your head down.

Focus on staying in a streamline position with your head tucked in and your body fully extended. Then, squeeze every muscle in your body. This should prevent you tucking your legs. Or, you can focus on staying in a straight line at a 45 degree angle into the water as you push off and enter the water.

Try pushing with your front foot harder than your back, this will push you into the air so that you can get your hips higher.

No, your flippers can fly off when you hit the water, or you won't dive correctly and can spin out.

You can bend a little more but make sure that your hips are still and in a position which will give tension to your arms.

Diving off a starting block can be intimidating, especially at first. With some guided practice, you'll get the hang of it before you know it.

It is more about personal preference and comfort than anything else, but most divers place their feet approximately a foot apart.

It depends on your lung capacity. Just breathe when you need to and start a rhythm.

Yes, there are many dives you can learn.

Usually, there is a red laneline block. That is the limit for your shooter. If you have any confusion about this, ask your coach.

The kneeling dive is a midway exercise to do when building up toward the regular dive. It brings you closer to the water, starts your body off in the right position and sort of forces you to really roll into the water, reducing your chances of a belly flop. To do it, stand on the block, crouch down, hold the front edge with two hands while putting one knee on the block. Keep your toes in, so you can push off strongly on your feet. It's the same position a knight takes when the king is knighting him, or when you ask someone to marry you.

Try to use your back legs and toes to thrust yourself forward as you leave the starting block. Think of it like you're jumping straight outwards rather than up. Curling your toes can help you achieve a better grip.

Ask a swim coach for specific advice. In general, your arms enter the water before your legs.

To prevent the belly flop, go back to diving from the side of the pool or even rolling in from a crouched position until you are completely comfortable with that move. Repeat until it becomes second nature. The best goggles are the in-eye type, the smallest ones that just cover your eyes, as opposed to those that cover your nose and eyebrows as well. Stretch your arms, place your ears between your arms and touch your hands together. This prevents the shock of the entry from being absorbed by your goggles. Repeating the lower dives should also straighten out your legs. Work up to higher heights by only pushing yourself a little rather than going for the high ones immediately.

When you do your streamline position, make sure your hands are pointing at the water, not at the air.

This dive is called a track start. Track starts are used when racing an individual event.

Practice streamlining, and swimming. Those two will help you with a better dive. Also make sure you're flexible.

If your cap is too tight and falling off, you may just need a new one. With most caps, a bit of water will get through but it should stay on. Try different brands until you get the right fit for you.

Focus on staying in a completely straight line, squeezing all of the muscles in your body while entering.

When you are on the block, keep your chin tucked under your chest. Don't move any parts of your body until completely submerged, then you can tilt your head up.

Practice.Ask your coaches for a private lesson. They can help.

When you push off the starting block, you should have your front foot's toes over the edge of the block. By having your toes curled over the edge, you are establishing a grip on the block from which you will be pulling yourself over. In theory, this should prevent you from hitting the block, so long as you are pushing off hard and not letting yourself simply fall into the water.

Your googles are most likely too loose. You should try tightening them to make sure they stay on.

If you are diving too deep, it means you are entering at the wrong angle. You are pushing downward from the block instead of forward. Try leaving the block at less of an angle.

Keeping your dominant leg in the back offers the highest amount of power upon push off. The power transfer from back leg power to front leg push off will provide the optimal start.

In competitive swimming, you want to stay underwater with a strong kick for as long as possible. This is the fastest part of the swim and it gives your body some extra time to rest. Some swimmers will say that the race is more about who is better underwater, rather than who can swim faster.

Pay more attention to it. As soon as you jump off the block, think about keeping your legs straight. Your movement to keep your legs straight might come a bit late, but practice doing this more often and soon it will be natural to you.