Flip turns...yes or no?

I will do some flip turns as well as tapping the wall when I start my pool training.  I don't like lap swimming and normally do OWS for my training.

I might try them soon, because I've noticed as my distance has increased, every once in a while I'll tap the wall a little longer as I turn.   however, as far as looking cool...I have a lady at my Y who does perfect flip turns and then proceeds to swim 5:00 100m splits in the "medium/fast" lane.  she's slow enough to where I can be coming into the wall, she's done her flip already and has pushed away, and I still pass her by the midpoint of the next length.  Not a fun way to spend 2000m.  :P  Of course my experience with her is balanced by the other flip-turner who shows up at the same time and is just smoking in "form" and speed.  I love swim goggles.  *slaps self*

I'm a swimmer that has added running and swimming to the resume.  Flip turns = yes.  I like the continuity.

That's unfortunate that people are standing in the way.  Are there designated lanes?  I would probably ask the person if they are "standing" at the end to please move off to the side. 

I "carefully" flip turn when there are people sharing my lane - I don't want to splash anyone but not doing flip turns for freestyle is just a wierd feeling for me.  However, if it's hotel guests floating around the pool or people who are just being twits (my fitness facility is in a hotel) I can be a bit of a jerk.  The lanes are CLEARLY marked as ADULT ONLY SWIM LANES - so if they're floating along with noodles or standing on the lane ropes I usually feel the need for a big kick set or maybe some Fly repeats.

I have started to rage out a little during my swims at Bally's.  Let me explain...there will be up to 5 people in every lane and very rarely is there a swimmer.  Quite often there is someone moving down the lane but I wouldn't call it swimming.  Most of the people don't even speak english (another thread altogether) so it's hard to explain or ask anything and they mostly  treat it as a place to cool down after coming out of the steam room.

Now the easy answer is find another pool...and yes we have them, but right now I just need to use the Bally's due to time constraints.

Back to my confession...after passing someone every length of the pool I finally asked the guy to just pick a side (and not circle) he said "no, it's meant to swim in a circle"  I then pointed to the sign that said "FAST LANE" and asked him if he could read.  By the next lap he was gone...hey, that worked!  Next day I jumped in with 5 people and just started swimming through them like I was in a tri (still in fast lane) while they were mostly wading.  Viola...next lap they were all gone!  So it's making me very aggressive in my swimming but unfortunetly I have to do it.  I have never had anyone respond to my words...only my aggressiveness.

 I suppose I should get back to flip turns and use the touch wall method for the occasional sighting...I have had someone plunge in right in front of me when I was 5 ft from the wall.

Oh, and I forgot one more reason to learn flip turns...nothing makes me more squeamish than reaching out to touch the top of the wall (during a above water turn) and plopping my hand on top of some dude's hands or arm because they are chilling out in the fast lane not even swimming, with their arms outstretched along the top of the deck.  Only thing worse is watching one of them blow a snot rocket into the pool while standing there...ewww.  I know we all deposit our fair amount of mucus in the pool, but at least be clandestine about it.

here is a step by step method of learning a flip turn:

go swim

As long as my asthma is not really bothering me I will work on my flip turns, but I get pretty dang breathless and would rather work on my swim technique....so for me it is a tradeoff....

Yes to flip turns, but I suspect you have opened a can of worms. I can give you a swimmer's perspective, but I recognize this is probably not the answer for everyone.

 When I swam competitively back in high school we often had 6-8 swimmers in the same lane of a 25 yard pool. The rule was if someone touched your feet you either sped up or pulled to the right as you approached the wall and let the person behind you flip to you left. (As a result in open water races people touching my feet does not bother  me.) If you were going to stop you stood either FAR to the left or right.

 When I swim among average swimmers I will take a moment to ask them to please stand to one side because I do flip turns and I would not want them to get hurt. If they continue to persist in standing in the middle, I flip carefully next to them, but each time I get more and more aggressive. (My turns are very accurate and have never hit anyone) Sooner or later they get the message.

 When there are 2 people to a lane, splitting the lane is appropriate, or you may agree to swim in circles. My experience is that people prefer to split. I do. If you do split the lane, be ready to swim in circles at the first hint of someone needing to get into the water. You swim to your right and pass on the left. I have had people refuse to swim circles even when there are already 2 people in the lane. I speak nice to them but if they refuse, I swim in the middle.  I can split 2 swimmers although if they have both drifted to the middle I do a dolphin kick and slide slightly under water as I pass. This is unnerving to most people and that usually solves the problem.

In one indoor tri swim we were swimming circles and as I passed on the left, another swimmer coming the other direction was also passing. I had to dive deep to avoid a head on collision. I did not let it bother me and it did not cause me to lose momentum.

 I guess the point of this rambling narrative is that in answer to your question whether YOU should continue to do flip turns. . . . it depends on your level of skill and comfort in the water.

Remember in open water races you may have people suddenly slow down to do breaststroke or take an accurate sighting, they may also stop and you will have swim around them in a crowd.You must adapt to changing conditions quickly and not let it interfer with your tempo. The same rule applies in the pool.

 I am sure I'll get heat for this answer.

Sorry to hear that your lane is so crowded and difficult. I swim in a pool where we have the luxury of one lane per person.

As for flip turns, I try to them whenever I have enough air in the lungs. Although the shallow end of the pool is VERY shallow so I nearly always tap that end and flip at the deeper end

cardenas1

 I love your avatar. I'd be even more impressed if the kid was reading the Wall Street Jounal, or at least the business page instead of checking for his results from his most recent tri