In this quick lesson, Joao explains what he thinks about for his foot placement as he steps on to the blocks.

When I step on the blocks I like to make sure that I’m well balanced and have good stability.  Also, I like to make sure that the block doesn’t wobble.  And then, when I put my back foot onto the fin, I try to stay mostly on my toes.

For me, it works well to have the knee at about a 90-degree angle, which gives me good power for a fast reaction time.  Then, I just transfer all of the power from the back foot into the front foot, where I can actually use the front foot as I take off.   


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Start - Foot Placement