Hello, I'm new here. Finally gave in and decided to turn to the internet for help. I don't even know if I'm supposed to post this here or not, please delete/move it if it's in the wrong place. I'm a bit embarrassed as this is going to seem like a stupid question to most of you...but how exactly do you do an underwater somersault? Yes, I'm 27 and never even learned. I've been taking swimming lessons over the past few years, trying to get caught up. My front crawl and breaststroke, while no where near the skill level of most of you, have nonetheless improved greatly, which I am happy about. For the past few weeks, my class has started to learn the flip turn. However, I cannot even do a basic somersault. Everyone else in the class picked it up instantly, no problems whatsoever. But me, I'm the only one in the class who can't even do a simple underwater somersault. I've been practicing over and over, but no luck. Is it something that you either can or can't do? I've heard that some people can't float no matter what...is that also true for somersaults? I'm at my wits end and am really getting frustrated with this, after all this practicing it seems like I should be seeing some results by now.
Is there some kind of drill or routine I can do with a flotation device to help flip under the water? Is there a shortcut or way to break the motion down into parts? I can't seem to make my body go all the way around, instead, I get pulled back up by the water and end up looking like an idiot. My teacher is great but she can't help me with the flip, she's got a full class to teach and so I basically have been told to work this out on my own. Which I've been trying to do for the past few weeks but have failed as of yet. Well. At this point any advice at all would be helpful, thanks in advance. Sorry if I seem angry, I've just about had it, weeks of practice and no luck.
Paddle, I learned how to flip turn at the age of 42, so you're never too old to learn. A year later, I'm still working on the fine points, but I can't imagine swiming backstroke now without using flip turns.
I definitely agree that the Go Swim video sequence is a good place to start. Those videos were a huge help to me when I was learning.
I personally find it almost impossible to do a somersault from a standing position (mostly because I'm very tall and the pool I use is fairly shallow). What I found most helpful at first was to just float facedown in the water, arms at my sides, with a pull bouy in each hand. Kick forward to give yourself some momentum, then pull yourself into a tight tuck and roll forward. Keep your chin tucked to your chest and think of trying to pull your knees to your nose. The tighter you tuck, the faster you turn.
IIRC, somersaulting with pull bouys is the second step in the video sequence--the first recommended step is to somersault with a pool noodle, but I found it easier to start with the pull bouys. Your mileage may vary. Once I had the hang of somersaulting (it really is a matter of just "getting the feel" of turning over in the water), I used the noodle to practice turning with a tighter tuck.
I also HIGHLY recommend a nose clip when you're first learning. This prevents you from getting a nose full of water. Eventually you'll learn to scrunch your face a little and blow air out through your nose when you turn.
I also suggest working with someone else with you in the water, someone who can help "spot" you and make sure you're turning straight forward (and not angling off to one side or the other). Another student in my master's class helped me--we were both learning at the same time, and as well as the practical help of just having someone to check your form, it's really a great source of moral support. If possible, try to pick a time when your pool is quiet and there's not a zillion people in the water.
Once you get the somersault down, practice swimming into the wall and doing your somersault there. The videos offer very nice step-by-step instructions for getting from a somersault to a flip turn.
One thing to remember: it takes a LOT of patience and practice. Even a year later, I have times when my flip turns just don't "happen," for one reason or another, and it helps to go back to those videos and review the basics. Don't let yourself get discouraged!
Good luck!
Paddle, I learned how to flip turn at the age of 42, so you're never too old to learn. A year later, I'm still working on the fine points, but I can't imagine swiming backstroke now without using flip turns.
I definitely agree that the Go Swim video sequence is a good place to start. Those videos were a huge help to me when I was learning.
I personally find it almost impossible to do a somersault from a standing position (mostly because I'm very tall and the pool I use is fairly shallow). What I found most helpful at first was to just float facedown in the water, arms at my sides, with a pull bouy in each hand. Kick forward to give yourself some momentum, then pull yourself into a tight tuck and roll forward. Keep your chin tucked to your chest and think of trying to pull your knees to your nose. The tighter you tuck, the faster you turn.
IIRC, somersaulting with pull bouys is the second step in the video sequence--the first recommended step is to somersault with a pool noodle, but I found it easier to start with the pull bouys. Your mileage may vary. Once I had the hang of somersaulting (it really is a matter of just "getting the feel" of turning over in the water), I used the noodle to practice turning with a tighter tuck.
I also HIGHLY recommend a nose clip when you're first learning. This prevents you from getting a nose full of water. Eventually you'll learn to scrunch your face a little and blow air out through your nose when you turn.
I also suggest working with someone else with you in the water, someone who can help "spot" you and make sure you're turning straight forward (and not angling off to one side or the other). Another student in my master's class helped me--we were both learning at the same time, and as well as the practical help of just having someone to check your form, it's really a great source of moral support. If possible, try to pick a time when your pool is quiet and there's not a zillion people in the water.
Once you get the somersault down, practice swimming into the wall and doing your somersault there. The videos offer very nice step-by-step instructions for getting from a somersault to a flip turn.
One thing to remember: it takes a LOT of patience and practice. Even a year later, I have times when my flip turns just don't "happen," for one reason or another, and it helps to go back to those videos and review the basics. Don't let yourself get discouraged!
Good luck!
