Lately I have been really working hard to improve my turns and I have a few questions about a fast sprint freestyle turn.
1. On the push off you to initiate the rotation onto your belly with your feet or by pushing off straight and twisting your upper body?
2. Does it matter what side you rotate to? For example if you are right handed rotate to your left?
3. Where should your arms be for the best streamline. Covering the ears or slightly behind?
4. How deep should you be when you push off? The center of the "+" on the wall?
5. How do you roll to get a deeper push off?
Thanks for any help or advice given.
KEvin
Parents
Former Member
In my opinion and I repeat my opinion, when you push off the wall your body should be at about a 90 degree angle but the feet should be placed on the wall at 45 degrees. I do not agree with trying to push off on your back as this causes too much torque to get back around to the front and results in loss of momentum.
One of the problems I have is that I don't get a solid connection with my feet on the wall. This is only when I hit the wall during a sprint. Several years ago I injured my left knee and ended up having surgery to repair it. And I think the lack of strength in that leg effects how solid of a connection I make on the wall. Especially since I would rotate to my right, placing more of the demands of the push to my left leg. At speed I would pause as I hit the wall and occasionally shuffle my feet. It feels like I am crashing into the wall instead of bouncing off of it.
Pushing off that way is also the exact opposite of how I would push of the wall to for a 25 sprint or even jump on dry land. On dry land I jump rotate to my left and reach with my right hand. I would think that I should do the same when pushing off on my flip turn. So this past week I have been trying that (rotating to my left) and it feels like I get a much better connection to the wall and a more powerful push. But I am not sure I am streamlining as best as I could be or if I am getting deep enough. And at times I seem to throw my feet down to connect instead of straight to the wall after I flip.
Either way, I'm swimming in meet this weekend and my wife is going to tape my turns. Hopefully I will see where I need to improve. My goal is to keep my 25's in my 50 free to with in a second of each other. Right now its over 2 and all that time is lost in my turn.
Kevin
In my opinion and I repeat my opinion, when you push off the wall your body should be at about a 90 degree angle but the feet should be placed on the wall at 45 degrees. I do not agree with trying to push off on your back as this causes too much torque to get back around to the front and results in loss of momentum.
One of the problems I have is that I don't get a solid connection with my feet on the wall. This is only when I hit the wall during a sprint. Several years ago I injured my left knee and ended up having surgery to repair it. And I think the lack of strength in that leg effects how solid of a connection I make on the wall. Especially since I would rotate to my right, placing more of the demands of the push to my left leg. At speed I would pause as I hit the wall and occasionally shuffle my feet. It feels like I am crashing into the wall instead of bouncing off of it.
Pushing off that way is also the exact opposite of how I would push of the wall to for a 25 sprint or even jump on dry land. On dry land I jump rotate to my left and reach with my right hand. I would think that I should do the same when pushing off on my flip turn. So this past week I have been trying that (rotating to my left) and it feels like I get a much better connection to the wall and a more powerful push. But I am not sure I am streamlining as best as I could be or if I am getting deep enough. And at times I seem to throw my feet down to connect instead of straight to the wall after I flip.
Either way, I'm swimming in meet this weekend and my wife is going to tape my turns. Hopefully I will see where I need to improve. My goal is to keep my 25's in my 50 free to with in a second of each other. Right now its over 2 and all that time is lost in my turn.
Kevin
