ARE LAND TESTS A GOOD PREDICTOR OF SWIM START PERFORMANCE?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any relationships between land tests and starting performance in swimmers. Results on six British international level male swimmers were collected and analysed independently to ensure no bias. Pearson correlations showed significant relationships between peak vertical forces on land with peak vertical forces on both the main plate and wedge components of the OSB11 style starting block. Correlations were also found with maximum depth and entry distance for both jump height and peak force indicating that land tests can be used as an alternative to instrumented blocks for accurate assessments of starting performance.