Flip turn time savings?

I'm guessing you'd save 1-2 seconds per turn depending on how good your open turns are.

If you want to learn how to do them, here's good thread.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=21537&posts=8#s

That's it. I'm learning flip turns! If I manage to save 1-2 seconds in a 1000m swim in a 25m pool (40 laps), that's approximately 40sec to 1min 20sec. Great! I need all the swim help I can get to be a little faster! 

Thanks everyone.

Félix

I think if you swim in a pool, it just makes it more enjoyable. Everyone likes to be as efficient as possible, and flip turns are efficient. I don't buy the "if you don't do it in a race, why do it in training" option. If you believe that, then all of your rides should be solo, no group rides for you. Never wear a swim suit, only a tri suit. Always wear a race number belt on your training runs. Always wear your racing flats. Always use your race wheels. Never don't go as fast as you can. Always run after you bike and bike after you swim. Etc. Etc.

If you're going to swim, look like a swimmer!

Since your question is will I gain time in a POOL tri (as opposed to OW tris, as other have brought up), the answer is yes, you will gain extra time, probably several seconds.

As for OW swimming, it's like the people that say don't push off the wall cuz there aren't any in OW swims.  So what?  You also don't stop every 25 yards in OW swims and start from scratch.  You also don't wear a wetsuit in the pool, but you'll wear one in OW.  I know several very good AG winner triathletes.  They all flip turn. They all push off (some of them even breathe on one side only [GASP!] .....And they still win their AGs in OW swim tris, even though they "cheat" in the pool. 

Flip turns benefit overall swimming because they allow you to maintain the glide through the turn, as well as providing some anaerobic benefit.  Starting from a dead stop every 25 yards isn't a great way to build swimming fitness.  Might as well be doing 25 yard sets all day

And, as someone said, if you're going to swim, might as well look like a swimmer.  Of course this is all just my .02

Chris

Nope, the worst thing is to flip too close and hit your feet/ankles on the edge of the pool as you flip.  **OUCH**

As far as not doing them, I think they are a real benefit to building endurance AND speed.  First of all, you are practice breath control every time you flip turn, you keep your momentum (so you don't have to get back up to speed every time you turn) and I think they just help you become much more smooth in the water.  I started seeing real improvements in my swim times (both pool AND OW) when I started doing flip turns consistently.

Whenever I'm feeling like swimming just isn't "on" for me that day, I revert back to open turns, they DO give you more rest than a flip turn.