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flip turns or open turns??
BY: ironswimming on 2015-03-24 8:50 AM
After swimming for almost a decade and having completed tens of thousands of laps, I can't imagine not using flip turns. They get me into a swimming groove. Though they help me swim better in practice, I've never used a flip turn in a triathlon.
Do you think its better to use flip turns or open turns in swim training?
If you're interested in improving your flip turns, I have some rules and tips that might help you become more proficient in them.
1. Pull into the turn. Don't stop swimming
2. Don't break the box; knees form a 90 degree angle.
3. Flip straight. Push off on your back or side.
Tip: If you have trouble with the somersault part of flip turns, hold onto the lane line to practice flipping straight over.
Tip: If you are having trouble landing your feet on the wall during flip turns, kick while holding on to the wall and practice flipping at your arm’s length.
For more help on learning how to properly execute flip turns, check out the article below.
http://ironswimming.com/flip-turns/
Edited by ironswimming 2015-03-24 9:17 AM
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RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: mike761 on 2015-03-24 8:57 AM
Originally posted by ironswimming
After swimming for almost a decade and having completed tens of thousands of laps, I can't imagine not using flip turns. They get me into a swimming groove. Though they help me swim better in practice, I've never used a flip turn in a race.
Do you think its better to use flip turns or open turns in swim training?
If you're interested in improving your flip turns, I have some rules and tips that might help you become more proficient in them.
1. Pull into the turn. Don't stop swimming
2. Don't break the box; knees form a 90 degree angle.
3. Flip straight. Push off on your back or side.
Tip: If you have trouble with the somersault part of flip turns, hold onto the lane line to practice flipping straight over.
Tip: If you are having trouble landing your feet on the wall during flip turns, kick while holding on to the wall and practice flipping at your arm’s length.
For more help on learning how to properly execute flip turns, check out the article below.
http://ironswimming.com/flip-turns/
Why have you never done a flip turn in a race?
I've been doing flip turns for 35 years and can't imagine not doing them. I even do them in an open water turn around if no one is nearby. -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: simpsonbo on 2015-03-24 9:01 AM
You don't stop every 25 metres/yards in open water. Flip turns are a more realistic simulation for open water, like you I can't imagine doing open turns.
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M35-39 and 40-44 Canadian Record 200 Fly -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: schaumi on 2015-03-24 9:13 AM
After swimming for over three decades, I do flip turns without thinking about them.
Here are my tips:
1. Go back in time to when you were 7 years old
2. Join the swim team at your local pool
3. Learn to do flip turns when you're 8-10 years old
4. Know how to do them for your entire life
5. Be faster than 90% of the adult onset swimmers you'll compete against in triathlon when you're an adult
Sorry, but I don't have a website to spam you with. -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: RedCorvette on 2015-03-24 9:17 AM
A nice skill to have, but not essential for successful triathlon swimning.
Mark
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"It doesn't get easier, you just get faster" Greg Lemond
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" Steve Prefontai -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: mrbbrad on 2015-03-24 9:17 AM
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Put your worries on hold; get up and groove with the rhythm in your soul.
-Yauch -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: Donto on 2015-03-24 9:26 AM
Originally posted by RedCorvetteDitto ^. To each there own.A nice skill to have, but not essential for successful triathlon swimning.
Mark
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"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few." Shunryu Suzuki -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: DanielG on 2015-03-24 9:58 AM
Who the hell cares?
Do them.
Don't do them.
Figure out which works for you and keep on trucking.
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RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: Left Brain on 2015-03-24 10:08 AM
The folks at the front of the swim in a triathlon are perfectly content with you never learning to do them and use them in practice.
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We need to start coming to terms with the fact that the rapture
happened and only David Bowie and Prince made the cut. -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: msteiner on 2015-03-24 10:16 AM
Originally posted by Left BrainThe folks at the front of the swim in a triathlon are perfectly content with you never learning to do them and use them in practice.
I have a feeling it would take a lot more than flip turns for most of us to average 1:10-1:15/100 in a sprint.
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RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: Sidney Porter on 2015-03-24 10:25 AM
What annoys me is the people doing some variation of breast stroke in triathlons, I bet they use one hand touches in the pool. -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: mikerunkle on 2015-03-24 10:32 AM
I find the open turn more accurately simulates the "I just got kicked in the face...where the hell is the buoy?" part of a race. -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: ratherbeswimming on 2015-03-24 10:38 AM
Originally posted by Left BrainThe folks at the front of the swim in a triathlon are perfectly content with you never learning to do them and use them in practice.
Yes! Also, keep doing those long, steady state swims as a regular part of training
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-Elaine -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: jhaack39 on 2015-03-24 11:18 AM
Originally posted by schaumi
After swimming for over three decades, I do flip turns without thinking about them.
Here are my tips:
1. Go back in time to when you were 7 years old
2. Join the swim team at your local pool
3. Learn to do flip turns when you're 8-10 years old
4. Know how to do them for your entire life
5. Be faster than 90% of the adult onset swimmers you'll compete against in triathlon when you're an adult
Sorry, but I don't have a website to spam you with.
Thanks for the tips! Let me just turn on my time machine.
While I'm at it, I'll go back to when I was 14 and gave up on the idea of actually doing fitness. Then I'll jump to 16 to when I discovered pizza and Taco Bell and fix that. And 21 (I will state 21 for legal reasons, it may or may not actually have been when I was 21....I am old enough to have been grandfathered to Louisiana where I could still get a beer at 18 during their changeover window) and take care of that too.
Starting all this at age 40+ isn't easy. Man, I wish I would have known what I know now about what fitness does for my life.
In all reality, I can do them. I just find that the problems I have aren't the mechanics. It's the breathing. And breath catching that I'm either subconsciously and often consciously adding to my laps/lengths. I keep telling myself it's like taking a moment to find a buoy. I tell myself a lot of things. -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: dmiller5 on 2015-03-24 11:25 AM
Originally posted by msteinerOriginally posted by Left BrainThe folks at the front of the swim in a triathlon are perfectly content with you never learning to do them and use them in practice.
I have a feeling it would take a lot more than flip turns for most of us to average 1:10-1:15/100 in a sprint.
yeah, its called hard work and attention to detail. Part of that is learning and using flip turns.
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-Dave
Leading bicycle touring, bikepacking, and backpacking trips
near you. Check us out at Blazeadventuretours.com
Our blog at ichafed.com -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: mike761 on 2015-03-24 11:53 AM
Originally posted by msteiner
Originally posted by Left BrainThe folks at the front of the swim in a triathlon are perfectly content with you never learning to do them and use them in practice.
I have a feeling it would take a lot more than flip turns for most of us to average 1:10-1:15/100 in a sprint.
1:10-1:15/100 is a set of 100's not a sprint. -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: dmiller5 on 2015-03-24 11:58 AM
Originally posted by mike761Originally posted by msteiner1:10-1:15/100 is a set of 100's not a sprint.Originally posted by Left BrainThe folks at the front of the swim in a triathlon are perfectly content with you never learning to do them and use them in practice.
I have a feeling it would take a lot more than flip turns for most of us to average 1:10-1:15/100 in a sprint.
or its a common way to measure and talk about your pace during a race....
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-Dave
Leading bicycle touring, bikepacking, and backpacking trips
near you. Check us out at Blazeadventuretours.com
Our blog at ichafed.com -
RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: brigby1 on 2015-03-24 11:59 AM
Originally posted by mike761Originally posted by msteiner1:10-1:15/100 is a set of 100's not a sprint.Originally posted by Left BrainThe folks at the front of the swim in a triathlon are perfectly content with you never learning to do them and use them in practice.
I have a feeling it would take a lot more than flip turns for most of us to average 1:10-1:15/100 in a sprint.
He meant as an average pace in a sprint triathlon.
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RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: popsracer on 2015-03-24 12:22 PM
From OP, "Though they help me swim better in practice".
Maybe someone could expand a bit on exactly why this is so??
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"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift"
- Prefontaine
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RE: flip turns or open turns??
BY: ironswimming on 2015-03-24 12:48 PM
Personally, I definitely notice that I can more easily get in the zone during swims when I do flip turns. I find that laps flow together more with flip turns. The starting and stopping of open turns break up the swimming. I'm also more tempted to stop with open turns or hand on the wall for an extra breath.