What's the Minimum Depth Required to Do a Flip Turn?

Well, I've done flip turns in 3 1/2 foot deep pool so it can be done. But I was uncomfortably close to the pool bottom. I suppose it's just a matter of how tightly you tuck.

3-4 is plenty.

For some of us... ten feet, and even that doesn't seem like enough. :frustrated: I got the hang of flip turns at one point, though never felt safe doing them in the shallow end... still, it was something. Then, one day when I started one in the deep end, somehow the flip went wrong and I found myself diving down along the wall, getting an awful cramp and coming up (don't ask me how) one lane over. Too embarrassing! After that, I managed a few more flip turns but not many more... kept tensing up when I approached the wall, so I couldn't complete the flip. Eventually, I'll get back to them, but that experience took the wind out of my sails for a LONG time!

I've competed at pools that are 2.5 deep. Nothing like bottom rash on your chest :cry:. But for an experienced swimmer, 3 feet should be the minimum. Paul For an inexperienced swimmer...5 feet (voice of inexperience here :notworking:)

I've competed at pools that are 2.5 deep. Nothing like bottom rash on your chest :cry:. But for an experienced swimmer, 3 feet should be the minimum. Paul

Watch your heels, When I'm in a shallow end I tend to alter my "geometry" (if you can call it that!) and it takes a while to judge the distance correctly. :doh: DV

goswim.tv has a really good series on how to learn flip turns. Click on 'drill of the week', then scroll down to May 2007.

I like it 3.5 or deeper. But like to practice the flip turns in a 2.5 ft deep pool. This way you can get your turn tighter and faster.

the LCM pool i grew up practicing in (summers only) was only about 2 feet deep at the turn end. that made for interesting practices! you definitely had to be creative with how you did your turns, sometimes having to decide if it was better to bounce your head off the bottom or knee yourself in the face... :shakeshead: but we did all have nice tight turns by the end of the summer!

I have an orange swmcap to, but I never wear my it when pracitsing. I'm good sticking with black.