Flip turns in the pool

in two months you can probably become decently proficient at flip turns.

I'll do my best to explain how to do them....

-come into the wall with your hands at your sides (you'll have just finished a stroke)
-roll into a ball and flip onto your back (but your hands stay where they are, so you'll end up in a ball with your hands pointing out)
-bring hands together into streamline and push off the wall and turn onto your stomach as you streamline

that was very quick and dirty.

you'll have to guage yourself on the distance before the wall to turn and whatnot (hence you have two months! ) but a good start is to use the "T" at the bottom of the pool -- when you hit the crossbar, begin your turn.

Of course, as it becomes second nature you'll know when and where to flip.


Also! If you have a chance, either practice in the pool that it'll be in or do some warmups in the pool ahead of time. Each pool bottom is different and so you'll need the warm-up/practice to accurately guage your turns. Else? You'll be flipping over too soon and not have any wall to push off of (done that in a swimming race a few times) or you'll be too close flip and your feet'll land on the gutter (done that in a swimming race too...went to push off and my feet just went in the air :-/)


hope this helps! Feel free to ask lots of questions

Flip turns are by far the faster way to reverse your direction. It would benefit your training to learn these. However - they only work if the lane is clear. My last tri was a pool swim and there were just too many people hanging on to the end of the pool "resting" that flip-turns became impractical. Also, if you have to change lanes, it will take additional practice getting used to turning and sliding over under the lane buoy. I'm not saying don't learn flip turns. They are very useful and efficient, just don't be surprised if you can't use them in competition.

Thanks, cadreamer; that was a good link. The same site has that exact text accompanying a Flash video of the same text at this link: http://www.goswim.tv/drilloftheweek_comments.php?id=979_0_20_0_C#

For the original poster: I've been having similar problems with the flip. What gets me is that my wife, with whom I swim, does effortless and fast flip turns, and she really can't explain to me what it is that she's doing. She's been doing them for so long that it is second nature and she can't put it into words. Frustrating for me as I flip over and push off straight to the bottom of the pool or try to breathe underwater or whatever.

oo, that video makes their instructions 100x easier to understand


http://www.goswim.tv/vids/flipturnseq_Small.swf


Neato. I love swimming technique videos.

WOW, that video helps a lot, thanks everyone for the suggestions! Now I just need to head to the pool and try them out.

I say go for it. Me, on the other hand would drown trying.