Did a search and couldn't find anything; apologies if this is addressed elsewhere.
I really struggle with my flipturns. What I took for granted in my youth is now quite a challenge. I find that I'm much more worn out after a swim if I've done flipturns, and I don't think I swim any faster or more efficiently when I do flipturns.
It's difficult to pace myself consistently, so my approach to the wall is the first problem I encounter. I try to have about a foot or two between my outstretched arm and the wall before I begin the turn. Even if I manage to do this successfully, I find myself sinking quite a bit during the turn, so much so that I can't flip in the shallow end of the pool without scraping knees and elbows on the bottom!
I'm a distance swimmer, so I'm not sure speeding up will do me much good in the long run.
Suggestions for a better flipturn are appreciated.
I, too, am a former high school swimmer who got back in the pool after years out of of it. Flip turns were shockingly difficult for me when I first got back into swimming. For a little while, I made myself do the somersault practicing in the middle of the pool for about five or ten minutes every workout to get that flip back into tight, quick shape, while sticking to open turns for the rest of my swim. Then I moved to just drilling the flip turns on the wall (start just past the flags, swim into the wall, flip turn, stop after the first stroke or two). Then I worked them back into my swimming. I almost didn't bother with all that--honestly, I just thought it might be an interesting goal to change things up more than I really thought it would be helpful or effective), but now I'm really glad I did. My turn is still not the fastest or cleanest, but it doesn't leave me worn out anymore, I don't find myself coming off the wall at a weird angle, and I feel like having a workable one does keep me in a better rhythm that pays off in a higher quality workout.
I, too, am a former high school swimmer who got back in the pool after years out of of it. Flip turns were shockingly difficult for me when I first got back into swimming. For a little while, I made myself do the somersault practicing in the middle of the pool for about five or ten minutes every workout to get that flip back into tight, quick shape, while sticking to open turns for the rest of my swim. Then I moved to just drilling the flip turns on the wall (start just past the flags, swim into the wall, flip turn, stop after the first stroke or two). Then I worked them back into my swimming. I almost didn't bother with all that--honestly, I just thought it might be an interesting goal to change things up more than I really thought it would be helpful or effective), but now I'm really glad I did. My turn is still not the fastest or cleanest, but it doesn't leave me worn out anymore, I don't find myself coming off the wall at a weird angle, and I feel like having a workable one does keep me in a better rhythm that pays off in a higher quality workout.
