How in the world do you approach the wall on the right side of the lane, flip, and depart on the other side without running into someone?
Up to this point, I guess have led a fairly charmed Masters Swimming life. On all the teams I've swum with, it was rare to circle swim. No more! I'm now swimming LCM with half a dozen others sharing the lane, which is great, but I can't flip turn now to save my life.
Normally, I come straight into the wall, flip straight over onto my back, come straight off the wall, and roll over in the streamline. That won't cut it in circle swim. How do you do it? I have to either lead the lane, and sneak over to the left coming into the wall, or go last and stay on the right.
What's the technique?
I've seen 6 in a lane all swimming fly on a college team. They all seamed to have an uncanny ability to avoid each other.
No one is mentioning how to roll. I roll the "wrong way" which makes circling more difficult. I rarely circle swim so when I join other workouts, so I struggle a bit if someone is right behind me.
Former Member
I usually dread this scenario as I have to hold my breath longer off the wall: I flip, as my feet touch (hands have connected above my head) I begin rotation to my left, then go deep into my sdk, usually if someone is right behind me, I'm going under them, sort of. If not then I'm doing what I'm suppose to be doing anyways...
I only learned flip turns in my early 20s, but I guess I've been swimming with teams so long I don't even think about circling and flipping. Not having to circle is a luxury I get to experience just a few times a year. The key is to be at least 5 sec apart, and be ordered from fastest to slowest. I go into the wall almost dead center, maybe a hair to the left, and push out a little to my right.
Problems are: people who don't go 5 sex apart, sandbaggers, and people who go into the wall to the right.