I have a student who is struggling with flipturns!
Former Member
So I've been a pre-competitive swim coach since May now. I love it! However, I have a student in one of my lower level classes who is really struggling with learning flipturns. No matter what I suggest or what approach I take, class after class, he is rarely able to progress to doing half of a somersault, let alone a full somersault (which he has never done).
I tell him to tuck his chin on his chest, keep his head straight, hands and arms at his side, legs up to chest in cannon ball, but no matter what, he really struggles to get his head and upper chest down away from the surface of the water, and then his legs straighten out behind him and it's all over.
Swinging kickboards out to his side as he initiates the maneuver has rarely helped.
What are your suggestions? I am stumped. :sad:
2 suggestions
1) The easiest - Every swimmer does not need to do flip turns. For fitness swimmers the focus should be on swimming, flip turns are a bonus. Teach the swimmer good open turns (low to the water, streamline…)
2) Flip turn drill using lane lines–
a. Have the swimmer perpendicular to a lane line, holding the lane line hands close together, palms up and in a streamline position on the surface
b. The swimmer pulls himself over the lane line, whilst kicking and continues until his hands, still holding the lane line, are at his side
c. At this point the swimmer flips (chin tuck…) while still holding onto the lane rope
d. The swimmer should end up on his back with arms extended overhead in somewhat of a streamline position
I find this turn drill helps swimmers who have a tendency to flail their arms as they turn and don’t get their arms up and streamlined before pushing off.
2 suggestions
1) The easiest - Every swimmer does not need to do flip turns. For fitness swimmers the focus should be on swimming, flip turns are a bonus. Teach the swimmer good open turns (low to the water, streamline…)
2) Flip turn drill using lane lines–
a. Have the swimmer perpendicular to a lane line, holding the lane line hands close together, palms up and in a streamline position on the surface
b. The swimmer pulls himself over the lane line, whilst kicking and continues until his hands, still holding the lane line, are at his side
c. At this point the swimmer flips (chin tuck…) while still holding onto the lane rope
d. The swimmer should end up on his back with arms extended overhead in somewhat of a streamline position
I find this turn drill helps swimmers who have a tendency to flail their arms as they turn and don’t get their arms up and streamlined before pushing off.
