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:
Swinging kickboards out to his side as he initiates the maneuver has rarely helped.
I coach adult onset swimmers in flip turns every year.
I can't picture what your are saying with the kickboards.
I start with a noodle, the person is laying face down on the surface. They are holding on to the noodle at hip height underneath them. They push into the water with their hands as they hold the noodle and over they go.
Most people seem to get hung up on this stage until we work on it with the noodle to show them where the leverage comes from. I seem to remember that USMS swimmer had this sequence published a while back.
Swinging kickboards out to his side as he initiates the maneuver has rarely helped.
I coach adult onset swimmers in flip turns every year.
I can't picture what your are saying with the kickboards.
I start with a noodle, the person is laying face down on the surface. They are holding on to the noodle at hip height underneath them. They push into the water with their hands as they hold the noodle and over they go.
Most people seem to get hung up on this stage until we work on it with the noodle to show them where the leverage comes from. I seem to remember that USMS swimmer had this sequence published a while back.
