I'm training for my second triathlon - now that I know better and know what to expect I'm actually researching and trying to learn more and think this site is great! Thanks to everyone who provides their expertise.
I have a question about lap swimming though, I've never learned how to flip turn, so I get to the end turn around and come back. Two questions on that, does that affect my swim by not doing the flip turn? Guessing not much since there is no flip turning in open water...and second how could one learn to do a flip turn? Feel kinda foolish when even the grandma's are doing them and I can't :-[
Thanks!
Shirin
Parents
Former Member
I also want to urge you to learn the flip turns. It will actually make your pool swim MORE like your open water swims, not less. Think about it for a minute. When you do an open turn or a stop turn you grab the wall and rest a moment before pushing off and swimming. When you get in open wanter what are you going to grab onto and rest a moment before continuing?
When you do a flip turn you do not stop at all, the swimming becomes continuous, just as it is in open water.
If you really want to simulate open water, minimize you push off the wall so it just returns you to swimming pace (most pool swimmers maximize the push).
The one bit of advice about grazing the wall with your finger is questionable. If you are in that close you will have to bend your knees too much to keep from hitting the wall. People who ball up and turn actually are often slower in their turns that people who do open turns.
A simple description of a flip turn is to tuck your chin hard (your torso will follow) and kick your legs over.
I strongly suggest initial attempts be done away from the wall and slowly work your way into the wall to get the distance right.
Also note, that the cross mark on the bottom of the pool is not always the same distance from the wall from one pool to the next, so you have to adjust your turning point each time you swim in a new pool. This must be part of your pre-meet warmups or you may loose valuable time.
I also want to urge you to learn the flip turns. It will actually make your pool swim MORE like your open water swims, not less. Think about it for a minute. When you do an open turn or a stop turn you grab the wall and rest a moment before pushing off and swimming. When you get in open wanter what are you going to grab onto and rest a moment before continuing?
When you do a flip turn you do not stop at all, the swimming becomes continuous, just as it is in open water.
If you really want to simulate open water, minimize you push off the wall so it just returns you to swimming pace (most pool swimmers maximize the push).
The one bit of advice about grazing the wall with your finger is questionable. If you are in that close you will have to bend your knees too much to keep from hitting the wall. People who ball up and turn actually are often slower in their turns that people who do open turns.
A simple description of a flip turn is to tuck your chin hard (your torso will follow) and kick your legs over.
I strongly suggest initial attempts be done away from the wall and slowly work your way into the wall to get the distance right.
Also note, that the cross mark on the bottom of the pool is not always the same distance from the wall from one pool to the next, so you have to adjust your turning point each time you swim in a new pool. This must be part of your pre-meet warmups or you may loose valuable time.
