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!
I'm with Craig. You can't compete effectively unless you can flip. I have a training partner who is faster than me swimming but her flips aren't as strong and that's the only way I can (sometimes) keep up with her. You can shave a whole lot more time off your swim by improving turns than you can with little stroke tweaks here and there.
Yes, no need for a flip turn in a lake, or ocean, for that matter.
However, unless you only swim in lakes or oceans you really should develop a flip turn. It is easier than the open turn and a good flip turn means less stroking.
Start at the flags and count your strokes to the wall. When exactly to turn will be a matter of personal preference. Do it until it becomes automatic and visualize yourself executing the maneuver perfectly.
Practice, practice, practice, and your ability will speak for itself. You should never have to do anything on deck or in the pool to intimidate, demoralize, or psych anyone else out.
I hate flip turns. Even when I was swimming competitively, I would do open turns in anything longer than 200 yards. Now that I don't race in pools, I skip them altogther.
During water polo practise during my senior year of high school, I even managed to sprain my ankle in the turn. I think that's the main reason I don't like them.
But put yourself out in a lake, and that ability to flip turn is useless. :)
The problem I always have is that I end up pushing off too deep in the water, and stay under longer. This gets me out of breath pretty quick, and after a few laps it slows me down.
I've been getting back in the pool recently after a 5 year absence with the aim of joining my university team this fall. I was relieved to find out that my flip turn was mostly still intact.
Mostly.
I still have issues where I'll occasionaly turn too far to the wall or too close and will end up either in the turn too long (from being soo close), or without a very good pushoff (from being too far).
By far though, I've found that my turns suffer the most when I'm thinking a lot. I know that sounds weird, but it's true. If my mind is all over the place or I'm focusing too much on how to complete the turn it always ends up worse off than if I'm just concentrating on other aspects of my stroke or not really thinking at all. So one of the things I suggest is to try to focus on other things when you're approaching the wall. Don't focus on the T at the bottom of the pool and the fact that you're about to hurtle yourself into a summersault at a tile wall while swimming. If you can make the turn into an instinct you'll have a much easier time of it and will eventually be able to confidentaly turn even in the shallow areas.
I remember when I did agegroup swimming that my coach would give us different things to do to improve our flip turns.
Sometimes we'd do a set of 50s where we'd go to the middle of the lane, and start swimming towards one wall. We'd flip at that wall, do a complete lap comming back and flip at the final wall, and then finish the 50 in the middle of the pool again. This allowed us to get two solid turns into a 50. Other times we'd go to just past the flags and just work on swimming towards the wall and turning, stopping at the flags and then repeating.
So I guess what'd I'd suggest is:
Try to focus on other things while going into a turn, and try to to make the turns instinctive. And don't think too much while turning, or spend too long in the turn itself.
Replace a set of normal 50's in your workout with a set of mid-pool 50's to give yourself an extra turn.
At the end of a workout, or during a drills section, spend some time going from just past the flags into a turn and out again.
Guvnah:
Yes, you are entirely correct. I was referring to those who feel the higher they get their legs out of the water (and the resulting splash) is the correct way to flip, by causing some sort of aquatic rucus.
Originally posted by aquageek
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.
It's not the splash. It's the spray. The faster your feet go around, the farther your spray goes. (And the faster your feet go around, the sooner they are on the wall to start pushin off.)
