This question has come up offline so I thought I'd post the question to find out the rule about this transitional turn between the IM's back and *** since I no longer do IMs.
Years ago, a flip turn between back and *** was allowed; it was not the new "freestyle" back turn, a swimmer could touch the wall in backstroke, and then flip over to enter the breastroke. Now I believe more swimmers are backstroking into the wall and open turning into the breaststroke portion of the IM.
For all of you Im'ers out there, what is now legal: both turns or does a swimmer have to do an "open turn"?
Donna
Parents
Former Member
I agree with knelson. He just does it so quick, it looks like he crosses over. He just drops the shoulder on the side he turns towards.
The new turn requires some shoulder flexibility. It looks like the arm crosses over because during the last stroke into the wall you actually need to roll the other way as you touch the wall.
With a normal backstroke shoulder rotation, the shoulder doing the catch would drop as you rotate to take the stroke. Here, you stay on the side of the stroke you just finished, while reaching toward the wall. This allows you to start the forward turn while still appearing to be on the back to finish the back leg of the IM. As long as the reaching shoulder doesn't go past verticle, you have a legal finish for the back.
I've worked with kids on the turn, and when they get it, it's really good. It's also really bad when they don't. Super slow, and lots of water up the nose if you're not careful.
Personally, I like the "sideways" turn. Do the long touch with the high shoulder, then stay on the side underwater and push off turning toward the ***. It just feels less akward to me.
Dana
I agree with knelson. He just does it so quick, it looks like he crosses over. He just drops the shoulder on the side he turns towards.
The new turn requires some shoulder flexibility. It looks like the arm crosses over because during the last stroke into the wall you actually need to roll the other way as you touch the wall.
With a normal backstroke shoulder rotation, the shoulder doing the catch would drop as you rotate to take the stroke. Here, you stay on the side of the stroke you just finished, while reaching toward the wall. This allows you to start the forward turn while still appearing to be on the back to finish the back leg of the IM. As long as the reaching shoulder doesn't go past verticle, you have a legal finish for the back.
I've worked with kids on the turn, and when they get it, it's really good. It's also really bad when they don't. Super slow, and lots of water up the nose if you're not careful.
Personally, I like the "sideways" turn. Do the long touch with the high shoulder, then stay on the side underwater and push off turning toward the ***. It just feels less akward to me.
Dana
