If you happen to see it, please tell it to phone home... ;)
Seriously...
I am new at swim workouts and only recently (in May) learned to do flip turns.
Tonight I was just doing an easy swim and getting in some practice doing the turns, which were going fine. I alternated them w/ open turns (not comfortable w/ flip turns in the shallow section, but that's a whole other thread). Also didn't do them every single time in the deep section, but for the most part, when I did them, they went fine. They weren't beautiful, but they were flip turns.
Then I started one, and for some reason came out of the tuck before I could make the turn. I was doing this deep dive right next to the wall, and it totally unnerved me--not to mention gave me a painful leg cramp which I managed to stretch out. At first, i was just going to leave it at open turns for the rest of the swim, but I didn't want to leave feeling defeated, so I tried again a couple more times, got something that looked marginally "flip turn-ish"--but I'd start the turn too far from the wall, and the flip wasn't quite right. They seemed more like my first attempts when I couldn't get them right--before my coach worked with me on them. (He's away for the summer, so I'm working pretty much on my own now until the fall when the masters' group starts back up again).
Then I thought I'd try one more time (swim was almost over by this time) and got that same totally mangled turn deteriorating into dive that I mentioned above--again w/ the leg cramp. At this point, I decided to call it a night. My concern is that I've gotten too spooked and that next time I swim, I'll have the same problem. But obviously, it's important to keep one's focus positive and not let this incident throw me. The lifeguard (a serious swimmer herself) said she thought it might be tiredness. Could be... or stress.
Another time during a practice, a team-mate noticed that I seemed to tense up just before the end of the pool, and I think she has a point. I know that when I see the "T" that marks the end of the lane line--especially if I've decided to flip turn, there's this moment of fear--I got to where I was able to slip past that fear, have tried to relax, remember what my coach told me, stay focused on that. But the fear is always there. I see people dong flip turns so easily, so seamlessly, and for me, they still feel foreign, even tho less than before. But tonight, I felt like a complete beginner again after that one turn gone bad.
Your suggestions welcome!
Wish I were near enough to an ocean or lake for more open water stuff, but deepest water conveniently located is a creek (very nice for soaking my feet after a run, but a bit problematic, as it's knee deep at its deepest, for flip turns). ;)
I actually got to enjoy them--just that experience last night got me all spooked about them. I really enjoy watching a good swimmer who can do them easily, turning the swim into an endless loop. That's what I aspire to, but not there yet. I had one of those "golden moments" when I got my first one right! It was as if I had opened a door on something--I have come a ways....when I first started w/ my group, I couldn't get the sommersault right, let alone the flip turn. I credit a very patient and very encouraging coach for my progress. Can't wait til he returns in the fall!
Go out to the middle of the pool. Take a few strokes and do your turn before you get to the flags. Focus on flipping your arms up over your head. This will allow you to flip faster and keep you in your tuck a little longer. By doing so, it keeps you from pushing off too deep (when you go back to the wall). Once you get your confidence back, just swim into the wall and do the turn. You're cured!
A splashy flip turn (one not intended for intimidation) is inefficient. I find it even more fun to do a nice calm flip and smoke those swimmers who feel creating a colossal tsunami on a flip is the correct way to execute.
Originally posted by Guvnah
:) :) :)
A good flip turn can get you your own lane in a crowded pool. It can intimidate the squeamish. It can demoralize someone who otherwise would be a fair match to your abilities.
Excellent! You're never going faster in a race than the start (dive) or pushing off the wall, so make the most of your forward motion.
Flip turns are one of my favorite parts of swimming. As somebody mentioned above, one of my favorite things to do is flip hard and fast (read, big splash) next to somebody hanging on the gutter. It is also a lot of fun to do a fast flip turn next to somebody who does them at a more sedate pace. Flip turns were meant to be fast people! If you can do an open turn faster than the flip then why bother with the flip?
I guess I will have to start working on them again. I'll be in the pool in about an hour, so life is good. The only thing good about starting work at 4:45 is that I will be out early enough to enjoy the day... And take a nice nap in the shade somwhere after I swim.
Geochuck, maybe my flip turn and yours found each other! ;)
hmlee,
great tips, thanks! And you hit it right on the head with this:
"the fact that you're about to hurtle yourself into a summersault at a tile wall while swimming."
It puts a name on what gets me nervous--and makes me aware that it's not an unreasonable or unusual thing to be nervous about--and that there are ways to address it.
When learning the flip turn, I'd do that swimming out to the flags, turn, swim back to the flags. But that idea about starting 50s mid-pool sounds like a plan too.
Guess the best thing to do is not stress over it...it'll come back....unless it's off somewhere with Geochuck's flip turn and they're having too much fun together. ;)
Originally posted by craiglll@yahoo.com
Flip turns are the only thing that makes swimmign really fun. I love to flip next to people who are swimming slowly.
:) :) :)
A good flip turn can get you your own lane in a crowded pool. It can intimidate the squeamish. It can demoralize someone who otherwise would be a fair match to your abilities.
And my favorite of all -- on Saturday mornings they take 2 or 3 lanes for kiddie lessons. Parents (in street clothes) crowd all around the walls of the natorium to watch their little tykes. The ones unlucky enough to have chosen wall space at either end of my lane find that they will have to move -- or get soaked.
Once I was swimming laps at an outdoor pool in the summer. It was a horribly hot day. Suddenly the lifeguard blew the whistle. "Adult swim! All kids out of the pool!!" I was allowed to continue my laps. Once when I stopped I noticed that there were kids crowded at both ends of my lane. I just thought they were waiting to jump back in at the end of adult swim. My wife later told me that they were gathering at those two spots to catch the splash from my turns. Kind of the opposite effect of the parents thing in the previous paragraph.
