Hello all,
I am looking for some advice. (Uh-oh guys, it's her again! why doesn't she get a coach already?) I want to learn to the freestyle turn, but I can't seem to get it. I am hoping this will have a positive effect on my distance and endurance because the regular turn, two hands on the wall, seems to break up my pace and position too much. All I seem to get when I try it is water up my nose. How do you do it? When do you breathe? Does anyone have any suggestions or tips?
Thank you,
Kate
For water up the nose, you do breathe out of your nose during the turn. The trick is to find out the smallest amount of air necessary, so you don't have to shoot to the surface, gasping for breath. :eek:
If you can find someone who has a good backstroke underwater (dolphin) kick, find out how they keep water from getting up their nose. :cool:
With a freestyle turn you should have either ONE hand touch the wall (open turn) or no hands touching the wall (flip or tumble turn)
I was trying to look around on the net for an example but it is not there. Just get any how to swim book with pictures there should be an example in there.
But just in case: As you approach the wall, the recovering arm reaches for the wall, the stroking arm stays back at the hip, keeping your chin near the surface of the water (up enough to take a breath), tuck your legs up and pivot the body, aiming more or less sideways, as your feet are getting to the wall, the hand that had been touching wall move close to the head and forward to meet the other arm that was back at the hip line. Let yourself go under the water, when both arms are in the streamline position, push off with the legs. Push off sidelying and rotate yourself prone as you start up to the surface to begin stroking.
Originally posted by Janis
I was trying to look around on the net for an example but it is not there. Just get any how to swim book with pictures there should be an example in there.
There's a website with both photos (along with explanations) and videos of various swimming techniques at www.swim.ee (The descriptions on the site can be a bit technical for anyone who's not a coach, but the photos and videos (mpeg format) are good.
Unfortunately, I couldn't give you hints since, when I do flip turns, I really don't know exactly what I'm doing; I hope I've got it right :) .
Kate,
This following web site has tons of info., and one article in particular about turns for beginners. There's quite a few swimmers (late starters) in our masters group who are still inclined to go with an open turn despite the extra effort, and amount of time that it eats up on an overall distance swim. I think they'll come around sooner or later, should they want to improve their times a bit.
I think almost everyone encounters water up the nostrils at some point, and the trick is in timing the exhale to prevent any major backwash into the nasal cavity. Hope the following is helpful, and good luck in your efforts. Val.
(www.svl.ch/learntheturn.html)
And......
(swimming.about.com/.../aa111000a.htm)
these are really great responses. i need to practice the breathing. i know i either breathe out too much and come up gasping, or breathe out too little and end up with a burning nose. i adore the www.svl.ch site. killer info on tons of topics. i know the one-hand and two hand turns (yuck!). i can't wait to learn the flip. i wish i wasn't at work right now!
