Hi, I'm having trouble with the freestyle tumble turn.
My freestyle is okay - not too slow but not amazing. However, I am absolutely horrible at the turns. I can't seem to get enough momentum for the turns. I can't turn fast enough, and thus the turn is very sloppy, always ending up with me somehow staring at my feet when my body's underwater after the turn and my upper body too low in the water. I've watched some really good turners turn with absolute ease - mind you, I can swim faster than some of them, and some of them just seem to glide into their turns with no speed at all, but they build up huge momentum during the turn, finishing the turn with their legs almost straight and very far away from the wall, but still be able to get a good pushoff that's not deep at all.
So, how do I get my tumble turn to work? How can I turn fast enough and with my legs relatively straight? When I turn by umping off the floor of the shallow end I turn like the good turners, but when I swim into the wall I can't turn anymore, which leads me to believe that I'm not getting enough momentum.
Parents
Former Member
Try setting up your turn more consciously. Accelerate into the wall, don't wait for the wall to come to you. Both arms should be at your side as your head dips down. You should try to feel like you are falling into the turn, not wrestling the turn. Transfer of momentum is what its all about..... fast in..... fast out. As you head dips down..... hands should come up toward the face as your arms bend at the elbows. This allows you to counter balance and help pull your feet coming over the top even faster. Do not look at your feet touching the wall when you are on your back. If you do you will have to straighten you head up when you push off. Remember, the tighter the spin the faster the spin. Big floppy legs are inefficient. Get you head down as you come in and stay tight in a ball as you turn. Try to think of letting your knees and thighs fall downward on to your stomach as they come over the top. Hands and forearms pull toward your face as you go into the turn initially helping to accelerate your spin and then extend behind your neck and stretch above your head as you push off. Note the initial push off is actually on your back and then rotate on to your stomach as you are leaving the wall. When you plant your feet on the wall you should be on your back staring at the ceiling (or sky)... not your feet.
Try to fall into your turns more effortlessly...... stay tight in a ball for faster spin ...... and plant your feet deep enough for a long underwater escape.
Remember.... when you're old, turns are the only way to beat someone that actually trains...... :-)
John Smith
Try setting up your turn more consciously. Accelerate into the wall, don't wait for the wall to come to you. Both arms should be at your side as your head dips down. You should try to feel like you are falling into the turn, not wrestling the turn. Transfer of momentum is what its all about..... fast in..... fast out. As you head dips down..... hands should come up toward the face as your arms bend at the elbows. This allows you to counter balance and help pull your feet coming over the top even faster. Do not look at your feet touching the wall when you are on your back. If you do you will have to straighten you head up when you push off. Remember, the tighter the spin the faster the spin. Big floppy legs are inefficient. Get you head down as you come in and stay tight in a ball as you turn. Try to think of letting your knees and thighs fall downward on to your stomach as they come over the top. Hands and forearms pull toward your face as you go into the turn initially helping to accelerate your spin and then extend behind your neck and stretch above your head as you push off. Note the initial push off is actually on your back and then rotate on to your stomach as you are leaving the wall. When you plant your feet on the wall you should be on your back staring at the ceiling (or sky)... not your feet.
Try to fall into your turns more effortlessly...... stay tight in a ball for faster spin ...... and plant your feet deep enough for a long underwater escape.
Remember.... when you're old, turns are the only way to beat someone that actually trains...... :-)
John Smith
