Approaching the wall to do flipturns [a momentum problem]
Former Member
So my 100 free SC time now is 1:01.5 approximately. I'm basing that off of my latest 100 free swim, which was LCM, but I used that swimmingworld conversation calculator which gave me the above figure. Last week, my coach had me do a timed 100 free off the wall at the end of practice. I clocked in at 1:02.5! So I'm very happy about all that.
I am having a slight problem though. As my technique improves and I get faster at actually swimming, I'm finding my flipturns are having a problem adjusting. When I do a set on like 90% or higher, and I flip around at the wall, it's like the momentum my body had established coming into the wall throws me off and I spend an eternity with my feet practically pasted to the wall while I get my balance back. In reality, the total amount of time wasted is probably only half a second at most, but you know, you guys are swimmers, you understand... that's an eternity in swimming! It's very frustrating when for the first 25 or 50 of a set, I can keep pace with some of the fastest people on my team, and then I get to the wall and I'm smeared, left floundering, while those fastest people just pinball right off. And this isn't an old problem... I have now been doing flipturns for over a year with no problem, but now they've become a problem (an opportunity?).
How do I accomplish a crisp, rapid flipturn without sacrificing any of my speed built going into the wall? Or is this just a sad fact of swimming I'm banging my head against... that all swimmers have to slow down just a tad before flipping? I don't wanna slow down! :(
I have a SC meet in a week. I'd like to fix this before then. What do you guys think?
This is assuming you're at a place that'll let you run down the deck and dive into the pool like that :cane:
Yeah - every time I run at the pool they yell at me to walk... those experienced life guards don't know what they're talking about.
If you are allowing your heel to hit the wall (and your feet are totally flat at any time on the wall) you are losing momentum on the wall.
You should be using your foot like a spring... toes/front ball make contact, catch your momentum in the foot flex and then spring off the toes/front ball of your feet. Flat-footing on the wall means you've "planted" some of your speed and you have to work harder to get away from the wall.
Practice your turns at a higher speed than you'll be racing. Run down the side of the pool deck and dive in about 9-10 yards from the wall. Take 1 or two strokes and do the turn. The momentum of running and diving will carry you faster into the wall than you'd normally be going so you can work on it at a faster speed. Getting that one down will make the "slower" race speed turns come naturally :)
This is assuming you're at a place that'll let you run down the deck and dive into the pool like that :cane:
Yeah - every time I run at the pool they yell at me to walk... those experienced life guards don't know what they're talking about.
Yeah I haven't tried this at the Y yet :) We used to be required to do it back in college though.
Practice your somersaults--the smaller you are (knees tucked, feet in) the faster you'll roll. You can do 25's with 5 strokes free right into a flip. Roll straight over and practice following your last arm-stroke down into your somersault. No breathing on that last stroke or you kill your momentum downward.
You can also practice coming into the wall, somersaulting and finishing with your feet on the wall--making sure you end up on your back in a streamline position with your feet pointing up on the wall. Then practice adding the push-off, kicking to your side and using your bottom arm to take a first stroke and get to your stomach.
Try doing some box jumps - you should spring off the wall as if you were doing a box jump. Most people actually plant their feet on the wall, let the wall absorb their momentum, turn their feet, and then push off. Instead, your feet should hit the wall and push off immediately and it should feel like an uninterrupted movement. You can rotate your body back into prone position from your side or back doing SDKs after you push off.
Most people actually plant their feet on the wall, let the wall absorb their momentum, turn their feet, and then push off. Instead, your feet should hit the wall and push off immediately and it should feel like an uninterrupted movement.
This is definitely something I need to work on. I noticed it last night - especially when I'm tired - I take my time in my flip turns.
If you've only been doing flipturns a year, you're probably not going to be able to make significant changes in your turn in a week. Also, generally speeking, a week or so before a significant meet is not the best time to start changing your technique.
Couple general tips, you want to 'attack' the wall, and try to bouce off of it like a trampoline, energetic, fast and efficient.
I think you may be talking about the slight pause that happen when you plant your feet, before you push off. That may be a slight issue with rythm and timing, where you don't quite have your flipturn in one fluid movement.
There is an optimum between being too close and too far away from the wall when doing an efficient flitpurn. Too far, and you won't get a good pushoff, too close, and you may spend too much time 'on the wall'.
How close to the wall you want to get may depend on you overall speed and strength. Some people, with really strong pushoff can gain speed off the wall, while others can lose it.
It may be a bit hard to give you more specific advice without seeing what you're actually doing. Are you working with a coach, or someone who can look at or film your flipturns>
By not breathing in the last stroke, does the last stroke mean the last arm recovering from above the water or the last underwater stroke? I mean, when the last arm is recovering from above the water, there are still two underwater strokes left before flip turn, ain't there?
