THE OBJECT OF DIVING

What is the object of diving? I suppose the answer to this depends on whom you are asking. For me as a coach -- I try to teach my divers from the very beginning that the object of diving is comprised of the following four items:

1) Go in straight (vertical entry -- most important!)
2) Go in straight with good form (legs straight, feet together, toes pointed!)
3) Go in straight with good form and little or no splash (RIP entry!)
4) Go in straight with good form, little or no splash and at a safe distance from the diving board (too close is too dangerous!)

Once your diver can do these four things, there is a fifth item and that is to increase the degree of difficulty (D.D.) of your dive list. Once your D.D. has been increased, you then try to complete numbers one through four again on the new list of dives.

Chances are good that if you can do these four things (plus the fifth item), you will be able to accomplish what legendary diving coach Hobie Billingsley used to tell his divers: "Beat the guy who finishes 2nd"!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HOBIE!!

HOBART SHERWOOD BILLINGSLEY (aka "HOBIE") -- The Man, The Myth, The Legend -- just celebrated his 83rd Birthday on December 2, 2009. Retired now from coaching, but still travelling the world visiting old friends and former divers as well as giving clinics, hosting seminars, talking about diving, teaching coaches and now writing his THIRD Book.

That's right -- Hobie is writing yet another book -- this one his autobiography at the request of the Indiana University Athletic Hall of Fame. Rumor has it he can be found working on this manuscript right this very moment tucked away in a cozy farmhouse somewhere on the outskirts of Moultrie, GA where there is reported to be "lots of Moss."

Can't wait to read the finished product. Happy Birthday, Hobie!

** Photo above shows another diving legend Dr. Sammy Lee sitting with Hobie at the FINA Grand Prix Meet in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

A Good "Hobie-ism"

Legendary Diving Coach HOBIE BILLINGSLEY was often heard to tell a diver "Don't let the water dictate your direction upon entry." In a nutshell, this means that a diver should maintain a tight straight-line body position throughout the completion of the entry. The dive is NOT over until your toenails disappear underneath the water.

If a diver does not maintain a tight body when they enter the water, the water might force them to move in a certain direction that makes the dive appear to go short, over or maybe look twisted in the eyes of the judges -- all things that reduce the scores given to the diver.

Divers must learn this most important of skills from the very beginning of their diving careers. A good drill is to have them lie on their back with legs straight, feet together, toes pointed and a "flathand" grabbed and then on your command "STRETCH" -- they try to make their body 10 feet long and hold this tight stretched position for 10 seconds. Relax and then repeat 10 times. In addition, every practice should include time spent on learning to enter the water straight (read: VERTICAL) with this tight body position and good form (Legs Straight, Feet Together, Toes Pointed).