Flip Turns? (Page 2)

I think that 3 feet of water should be plenty for a flip turn. But if you can't do them, an efficient open turn can be pretty fast as well. I'm used to doint these as a breast stroker, so I hit the wall with two hands. I suppose you can get both hands in front of you doing freestyle and if not you can modify it, I'm sure. So, for an open turn, from a flat, face-down in the water position, grab onto the wall and pull your body toward it to get some rotational velocity as you tuck your legs in. Your feet should hit the wall just below your hands. At this point, let go with your hands and start to straighten out and push off with your legs. While you are pushing off, rotate your body so that you are face down again. Get a good streamline and you're off!

Edited to add: if you turn to your left (as I do), your left hand will leave first and head toward the other side of the pool, leading your body into the turn and staying just under the surface of the water. Your right hand will go once your body is most of the way into the turn, then sort of "dive" over the top of the water to meet your left hand. In summary, open turns are much easier to do than to explain....

Edited by kimj81 2005-05-13 5:28 PM

I have never bothered to learn flip turns, since they wll never come into play during the open water swims found in all my tris. One nice part about not learning the flip turn is that my open water times are always better than in the pool.

I went to the poll this afternoon and I tried doing a kind of "open turn" without letting my feet touch the floor of the pool but it seems to take more effort to do than just doing an about turn when I hit the wall. I think I will have to start including some open water swims in my training.