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Flip turn mental block

Guido P

I started master swimming in my 20s and had no problem with flip turns, improving technique and confidence over time.

Suddenly at the beginning of this swimming season I developed a fear to turn at the wall as it was too close and get hurt. I either flip farther from the wall and miss to plant my feet to push or renounce to flip and go for an open turn. Things get worse when I'm doing sprinting sets. As the wall approaches I get very anxious with a feeling that it's too close to turn safely. I'm definitely overthinking it.

What can I do to gain confidence back? Is it something that happened to other swimmers?

Parents
  • 0

    3 things pop up for me - 1) make sure the flip turn is actually faster for you ... there are many many swimmers I see who do a flip turn but its actually slower than a quick open turn. You can move those knees quickly and you get an extra breath so its not terrible to do open unless you are good at flips  2) practice some in mid pool - no wall anywhere near you, the flip and movement and so on fast and slow and 3) I would take some time and go inch by inch getting closer to the wall -- just do a turn session   - maybe have somebody tape you so you see and gain confidence .. hope that helps 

Reply
  • 0

    3 things pop up for me - 1) make sure the flip turn is actually faster for you ... there are many many swimmers I see who do a flip turn but its actually slower than a quick open turn. You can move those knees quickly and you get an extra breath so its not terrible to do open unless you are good at flips  2) practice some in mid pool - no wall anywhere near you, the flip and movement and so on fast and slow and 3) I would take some time and go inch by inch getting closer to the wall -- just do a turn session   - maybe have somebody tape you so you see and gain confidence .. hope that helps 

Children
  • 0 in reply to Erik Hochstein

    Thank you! Flip turns were never a problem till a month ago. I actually love them.

    I was in the pool by myself this weekend convinced to improve the situation and got the opposite effect. I started with middle of the pool flips and doing ok, then I tried to turn somewhere in the shallow end and literally freaked out, like I would hit the bottom of the pool. I initiated the somersault and aborted it with a backwards jerk movement. After that I fell so anxious and agitated for hours.

    I'll go with open turns for a while and will build a mental mindset where it's not a big deal and then try to bring them back.