I have seen a few drills for flip turns (one in a recent USMS SWIMMER magazine article, another as a series on GoSwimWeekly) emphasizing "weightless hands/arms" going into the turn, so that you use your core rather than your arms to get you around.
Others have told me it is critical to throw water over your shoulder as you turn, either with one or both arms, keeping your elbows locked to your side but pushing water toward your head with your palm(s) and after that motion going into streamline.
This seems to go against weightless arms/hands streamlined against your side as you go into and out of the turn.
Do people consciously throw water over their shoulders as they turn, or is this just an unconscious but natural consequence of a powerful turn?
Are the weightless arm/hand drills a good way to teach and practice flip turns? I've found these drills helpful but want the best turns I can get and wonder about other, better flippers than me.
That said, I am sure there are a million ways to do flip turns.
I searched this forum for answers to this; couldn't find anything specific, though I'm quite sure it's been discussed. If so, someone please direct me to the thread?
Yes, the kind where your arms stay at your side after you've done your final two pulls, you use your abs to flip over (and freestyle kick into the pulls, but once the turn has started, no dolphin, just the force of your last pull), and because your arms are already at your side, when you flip over and come out of your turn you are initially on your back or at an angle, depending on where you planted your feet, and your arms, with little or no effort, are in the right position for streamline, and you glide in the direction of your stomach, do some dolphins, and then start swimming freestyle again.
I am referring to freestyle flip turns, in short. With no extra effort from arms during the turn.
The question I have is do you need to do a push toward your head with your arms as you rotate, or does this just happen as result of force of turn if you leave your arms "weightless," as in the drills I have seen?
Yes, the kind where your arms stay at your side after you've done your final two pulls, you use your abs to flip over (and freestyle kick into the pulls, but once the turn has started, no dolphin, just the force of your last pull), and because your arms are already at your side, when you flip over and come out of your turn you are initially on your back or at an angle, depending on where you planted your feet, and your arms, with little or no effort, are in the right position for streamline, and you glide in the direction of your stomach, do some dolphins, and then start swimming freestyle again.
I am referring to freestyle flip turns, in short. With no extra effort from arms during the turn.
The question I have is do you need to do a push toward your head with your arms as you rotate, or does this just happen as result of force of turn if you leave your arms "weightless," as in the drills I have seen?
