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 always did the pure back flip turn in my im's (except the 400im in season where you need all the air you can get).
So i just come in touch on my back, hand low on the wall, then bring my knees and feet up and over my head, effectively doing the back somersault.
with my feet planted i push off on my stomach for *** (and get to do the new sweet dolphin pulldown)
this backflip or the crossover (which i could never master) is less air though, but is much faster I believe.
In the end it all comes down to preference, and what you can do (both physically and mentally)
Reply
Former Member
I always did the pure back flip turn in my im's (except the 400im in season where you need all the air you can get).
So i just come in touch on my back, hand low on the wall, then bring my knees and feet up and over my head, effectively doing the back somersault.
with my feet planted i push off on my stomach for *** (and get to do the new sweet dolphin pulldown)
this backflip or the crossover (which i could never master) is less air though, but is much faster I believe.
In the end it all comes down to preference, and what you can do (both physically and mentally)
