Why do you (or don't you) do flip turns? (Page 2)

Then you're doing it wrong  insert pink font or whatever is need here to know that I'm kidding!

I think for most adult onset swimmers the problem is with breathing and it's toward the bottom of their proiority list of skills for swimming.  I've never really encountered a problem with someone doing open turns.  I've found they're easier to get around because of the pause.  They can see me coming.

Have you ever wished for more air in such situations? Missed a breath because of too much chop? That was his point. Not the act of turning upside down, but getting used to going a bit longer without taking a breath.

ETA: I don't think flip turns are going to make or break someone's swimming ability. It's just another one of a lot of things in swimming that can add a little more to help out.

That's because you can't swim that well to begin with.     That's the best part about these discussions......a bunch of triathletes who can't swim worth a crap going on and on about what is needed and not needed in a swim.  LOL

Yah, but will flip turns turn me from a 23 minute swimmer to a 18 minute swimmer?  If so I'll start tomorrow!

I bet it would....especially if you learn to dolphin kick really well off the wall.  It's all about feel.....the more you feel the water and get used to moving through it the better you get at swimming.   There is a world of difference between people who can swim and triathlon swimmers......why triathletes are stubborn to do the things that make swimmers what they are is beyond me. 

Duh.

Flip Turns look cooler.  Isn't half of our decisions that we do here based on what looks cooler?

I'm a flipper 80% of the time.  I know my swimming strength and speed, and my breath control are better because of it.

I get wanting to prioritize things to do the most important more often. I don't quite get polarizing the importance of such things so much that it's either the most important thing in the world or it's not worth doing at all.

I agree.  I just don't get the whole "I don't do flip turns in open water so why would I do them in the pool" attitude......usually from people who can't swim worth a damn compared to swimmers.  For sure, there are other things in swimming to work on, but to say learning to pool swim with flip turns won't help make you a better swimmer is just wrong.

Of course not......I'm participating aren't I?

If you can't break 24 minutes in an Oly, then you're not allowed to post here!  

That qualification may or may not have been very carefully selected...

HA!!  I know what you did there.

I do them because I don't ever remember not doing them and they're a lot smoother and faster than open turns for me. That said, I have a blistering open turn and have occasionally used when I was having significant sinus problems or ear infections that affected my sense of balance.

I don't care what others do. Not even if they're paying me for advice. I do care what I say in that situation, but not particularly about what they actually do.

So here's what I'd say

If you have some kind of balance, proprioception or flexibility issues, etc. that are genuinely prohibitive to doing flip turns, don't do 'em.

If you just love swimming and triathlon for fun and really don't care about progression or performance, don't do 'em.

Otherwise ...

For most people (there are exceptions, and unless you've really tried, you probably aren't one), a basic flip turn takes very little time to learn, and then you have a chance to refine it between each of the lengths you swim.

They will allow you to train faster (and with faster people, the #1 way to getting faster) and more smoothly, with greater rhythm and body awareness, and practicing a helpful kind of breath control.

No, we don't do flip turns in open water. Nor do we come to a dead stop every 25yd/m or 50m. That's not the point.

No, they are not necessary for enjoying swimming, swim training, and doing triathlons.