I am back with open turns (due to pregnancy) and I've been amazed at the overall efficiency I gain doing open turns vs the flips I've been practicing over the past few months.
I am rapidly coming to conclusion that open turns done correctly can give an overall faster time in a long event like 1500m. The reason that I think they are 'more efficient overall' over the flip turn is the following:
1. Oxygen/air: you don't run out of air in tank like in a flip, as the short breath taken at the end of the pool oxygenates the body fully for the next length, so you really can 'steam through' the distance.
With the flip on the other hand, I have to judge my breathing, seem to get that hypoxic 'restricted oxygen feel' now and again (even though this has improved) which raises my heart rate and by the end of 1500m, I'm in a type of oxygen debt feeling which is lung busting and quite frankly inefficient.
2. I can consistently push off the wall in an explosive fashion and then streamline for longer and even do dolphin over a longer distance 800-1500m as I have much more oxygen to play with.
With the flip you have to judge it every time to the wall and out of it and sometimes get it wrong and I certainly can't do dolphin with a flip - I'm gasping for air - even though my flip is executed really smoothly and speedily!
I agree that the 'execution' of the flip turn is faster (very slightly if any gain) than the open turn, BUT it's the gain in oxygen/air with the open turn that could gain a substantially faster time in distance swimming overall...
I am wondering what other's think of this.
Former Member
My AG swimmer has struggled with the flip turn from the start and always complains that they make him dizzy and disoriented.
So the 1st meet of the season comes around and what does he do in all of his free events?
Open turns!
And he was faster than the kids doing flip turns in his heat.
Actually posted his personal best time in each event.:banana:
My AG swimmer has struggled with the flip turn from the start and always complains that they make him dizzy and disoriented.
So the 1st meet of the season comes around and what does he do in all of his free events?
Open turns!
And he was faster than the kids doing flip turns in his heat.
Actually posted his personal best time in each event.:banana:
No offense to the other AG swimmers, but that doesn't say too much about them! Keep striving for those flip turns and see what happens to the time (I'm sure as a coach you are doing that anyway). All the best!
Thanks again for great replies on this.
From what I have read here from those that have vastly more swimming experience than myself, I simply have to stick with those flip turns. I have actually come a long way with them since starting swimming this year, so I must be very happy with that improvement and build on it.
BUT...no flip turns when pregnant for me - I think that if I'm restricted for oxygen and uncomfortable on some flip turns, then baby inside is restricted for oxygen too and probably uncomfortable too. Now whether that is safe or not for baby inside is up for debate (as my pregnancy post into this question recently). I could not find much advice or backed up scientific evidence on the web, so I am just erring on the side of caution. GP didn't know and said "just do what you normally do and what you feel comfortable with" ...
(As to the pregnancy and doing flips - I have personally decided to stop the flips just in case the hypoxic state does agitate the fetus - I know some of you continued doing them, - I admire you, but for me I can wait 9 months).
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AS one who swam until her doctor told her to stop 3 weeks before birth, I can tell you that doing flip turns will not harm your baby. There are only 2 reasons to stop them 1 - belly size and 2 - morning sickness. The heart rate can get up with a pregnancy. I think the doctor told me to keep mine under 130. That's still pretty high. So relax and keep working on those flip turns. The baby will be fine and will enjoy the change inside.
No offense to the other AG swimmers, but that doesn't say too much about them! Keep striving for those flip turns and see what happens to the time (I'm sure as a coach you are doing that anyway). All the best!
Oops, should have mentioned that this is my kid-and believe me when I say-the sooner he drops the notion that he can be just as fast with an open turn the better!
He needs to work on improving the flip and it won't be easy, but I would argue that the flip was invented to make a turn more stream lined and thus more efficient.So why not try to perfect it?
I'm just starting to learn flip turns, with varying degrees of success. I feel that even the embarrassingly bad ones get me off the wall faster than my open turns. Definitely worth learning, although I don't do them when the pool is crowded, for the safety of my lane mates.
